Phoenix
by Suituuup
Summary: Four years without a word, or a sign. When Beca meets Chloe again in New York, the latter is blonde, married, and distant. Beca knows something is going on and wants to help. Warning: Deals with domestic abuse.
1. Prologue

Hi everyone ! First Bechloe fic I'm posting out here, I'm not nervous at all, ha! This takes place five years after PP2, and PP3 never happened. Hope you enjoy it.

Warning: This story deals with domestic abuse.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Perfect or its characters. If I did, Bechloe would have been canon, obvs.**

* * *

Beca feels chills going down her spine as she fiddles with the knobs on her mixing board, a satisfying smile breaking onto her face as her eyes move back and forth between the sea of people dancing below her platform and her board.

She's made it. It's been five years since she graduated from Barden and for the last two years she's been able to live from her passion: making music. Although her life is more than hectic, she enjoys every second of it and wouldn't change it for the world.

Her tour coming to an end, she has been called to attend gigs at several up-and-coming clubs in NYC before she goes home to LA. She spent the last six months touring the country after the release of her latest album, which has her up for Best Artist of the Year at the upcoming Grammys a few weeks from now.

Her set is coming to an end and as usual, she closes it with her _Titanium/Bulletproof,_ a mix she made back in Barden with hers and Chloe's voice. She didn't need much to convince Chloe to come record the cover with her in the studio. As a thank you, she gave Chloe said mix as a present on the redhead's last day at Barden.

As Chloe's voice drifts through the speakers, Beca cannot help but feel her chest constrict. Oddly, it feels both bitter and soothing to listen to that mix.

Too focused on mixing, Beca usually doesn't really focus on the crowd. However, spotting a flash of red hair on the corner of her eyes, she can't help but do a double-take. The woman swaying on the dance floor has the exact same hair color as Chloe's (Beca's eyes having learned to spot that shade from a hundred yards) and the same height. Beca stares, her teeth sinking into the inside of her cheek, anxiously waiting for the woman to turn around so she can see her face properly.

When, after several seconds have ticked by, she finally does, Beca feels the weight of disappointment settling in her gut. Her eyes drift over the dancefloor, locking on a blonde who is dancing on her own to the beat. Since becoming kind of famous, Beca rarely goes home alone after a set.

Said blonde spins around and Beca feels the oxygen leave her lungs. Familiar crystal blue eyes meet hers, and they stare at each other for several seconds. Beca waits with bated breath, expecting Chloe to vanish in the air and the whole scene to belong to another one of her fantasies. She blinks several times, making sure her brain is not tricking her, and pinches herself. Chloe is still there, but a moment later however, just as the song wears out, she's led off the dance floor by a tall man, and toward the exit.

It's not like Beca can cut off the song and run after her. So she painfully waits until the last note before all but throwing her headphones -yes, her super expensive headphones- onto her board and moving to exit the booth. Her steps halter however, when she realizes she hasn't even thanked the crowd. Walking back to her mic, she hurriedly says goodnight, ignoring the demand for an encore, and rushes out of the small space.

"Beca!" A guy she recognizes as the club manager is suddenly in front of her, both hands clasped on her shoulders. Beca tries to avoid cringing at the interruption and the unnecessary physical contact. She has always been awkward when it comes to people touching her, although Chloe literally barreled through those barriers over the years at Barden. "What an amazing set!"

"Um, thanks." She replies, trying to look past him. There are so many people on the dancefloor that she has lost sight of her friend. She feels panic rush into her limbs, her eyes moving from left to right, not knowing where to focus.

"Let me get you a drink," Owen, at least she thinks that's his name, offers, leading her to the bar with a hand on the small of her back.

"Yeah, can you give me a minute?" Beca says, already half-turned toward the exit. "I just need some fresh air first."

"Sure, no problem."

The DJ smiles tightly in response and walks around the dance floor, spotting from afar a blonde going toward the doors. She marches to them and mumbles a thanks at the bouncer when he pushes them open for her.

"Chloe!" She shouts to the couple walking away. "Chloe, wait!"

The other woman turns and Beca feels slightly lightheaded when those blue eyes meet hers once more. The short woman closes the distance between herself and her friend, shamelessly ignoring the guy who is obviously Chloe's date when she finally makes a stop in front of them.

Chloe visibly pales, her eyes briefly looking at her date before settling on Beca. "Beca, hi,"

"What, you were just gonna leave without saying hi?" Beca internally cringes at her way of greeting Chloe, but she cannot bite back the harsh words.

"I know, I'm-"

"Hi, I'm Greg," a hand is thrust in front of Beca, and she takes a step back, frowning slightly at the intrusion. "Chloe's husband."

While Beca has never been punched in the guts before, she can tell right now what it must feel like. Difficulty breathing, anger flaring, desire to clock the guy right back.

"You must be Beca, Chloe has told me about you. It's nice to finally meet you."

Beca doesn't like his ton, nor does she like his flawless features or the way his arm settled around Chloe's hips after hearing who she is.

Without returning the sentiment, Beca shakes his hand reluctantly and looks at Chloe, who has yet to say something. Her eyes seem to be stuck on the ground and she is fiddling with her hands.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Beca requests. "Alone?" she adds, when Greg doesn't seem to budge.

The man smiles and nods, before dropping a kiss to the crown of Chloe's head and whispering something that Beca can't make out in her ear. His arm lets go of her waist, his hand squeezing Chloe's upper arm before it slips away. He takes a few steps back and busies himself with hailing a cab.

"I'm sorry, Beca," Chloe murmurs, hesitantly meeting the DJ's eyes.

Beca can't stop the laugh before it's past her lips. "For what, coming to one of my gigs and not bothering to say hello or for the last four years where you ignored my texts and calls?"

"Both, I guess. Look, I've been really busy here in New York and-"

The brunette scoffs, rolling her eyes. "That's rich, Chlo. You were my best friend and you just disappeared off the face of the earth."

Beca acknowledges the tears filling Chloe's eyes but can't find it in herself to pity her. "I'm so sorry."

The petite woman clenches her teeth, her nails digging into her palms to keep herself from getting emotional. "Was it something I did?"

"No!" Chloe cuts her off hastily. "You did nothing wrong."

"Chloe, honey, the cab's waiting," What's-his-face calls out from a few feet away, bracing himself against the cab's open door.

"Can't you stay for one drink? I can have my driver drop you back at your place," Beca says, hating the way her voice sounds. It's cracking with the emotion of seeing Chloe for the first time in what feels like a lifetime.

Chloe looks back to her husband and bites her bottom lip, turning to Beca, "I-I can't. Not tonight."

Deep down, Beca knows she should walk away, far from the woman who has caused her such heartache. However, she chooses to ignore that little voice inside her head and lets her heart be the decision maker. Because that's the sensible thing to do.

"I'm here until the end of next week. Here's my number, so if you ever want to explain yourself and catch up, call me." She reaches inside her back pocket and hands Chloe a card. "I still care about you, you know. I've missed you."

A sob escapes Chloe's throat before she can stop it and and she gives Beca a watery half-smile. "I've missed you too, Bec. So much."

The familiar nickname has Beca's throat shrink and she nods. Chloe walks to her husband, and Beca doesn't miss the look he gives her over Chloe's shoulder, and it's not one bit friendly.

* * *

The next morning, Beca wakes up with a pouding head and a warm body pressed against her back. Her face scrunches up; obviously the only rule she lives by hasn't been respected.

"Hey," she whispers to the woman next to her, slightly shaking her shoulder. "You have to go."

Sure, she knows it makes her a jerk, but she doesn't like it when one night stands stuck around for too long. Even worse, when they cuddle her. She doesn't do breakfast in bed or that kind of shit that could ever lead to the other person developing feelings and wanting to go steady.

"Mmm," the blonde hums, rubbing her eyes with a smile on her face. "Morning."

"Yeah, morning." Beca replies absently. "I think your clothes are in the living room."

"Right," she slurs this time, her hand running up and down Beca's arm. "Where you proceeded to rip them off last night."

Beca cringes. "Mmm."

"Do you want to go at it before I leave?"

Beca sighs. "Not to offend you or anything, but I have a lot of shit to do today so... I'll call you a cab."

After she has finally managed to make the girl leave, Beca reaches for her phone, deep down hoping for a text or call from Chloe. She sighs when her screen only shows a few texts from other friends and from the club manager congratulating on the success of her gig last night.

She swipes her finger on the screen to unlock it and dials a number.

 _"Is Jesse not picking up his phone?"_ chirps the oh so gentle voice of her ex-captain on the other end.

Beca frowns, "What? Why?"

 _"I figured you were calling me because you couldn't reach Jesse."_

Beca scoffs, "I call you from time to time... I think."

Aubrey laughs softy. _"I'm just messing with you, Beca. You usually text, so this is probably important?"_

"I saw Chloe last night," Beca blurts out, and is only met with silence. "Aubrey?"

Aubrey has dropped the playful tone when she speaks again, _"You did? Where? How is she?"_

"Outside the club I was mixing at. She was actually leaving and hadn't bothered to come and see me at the end of my set, I had to run after her. Aubrey, she got married."

Beca hears nothing on the other line for several seconds. Aubrey and Chloe were best friends for such a long time, and the fact that Chloe got married without Aubrey attending obviously crushes the blonde.

 _"What?"_ Beca hears Aubrey's voice crack. _"To whom?"_

"Um, some guy named Greg. But something was off about her. I mean, we only talked for a minute, but she wasn't her bubbly self."

 _"Are you going to see her again?"_

Beca rubs her forehead, "I left her my number but I doubt she'll be calling me. And you know her old number is disconnected. If she doesn't call, there's no other way I can contact her. When was the last time you spoke to her?"

 _"A little under four years ago, I think. Last I heard she was a music teacher at a high school in NYC."_

Even if Beca decides to find her, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

She sighs and closes her eyes. "Right. I'll tell you if she does call me."

 _"Thanks, Beca. Talk to you soon."_

Beca ends the call and falls back onto her bed, dropping her phone next to her. While she feels slightly hungover, her mind is reeling, going back to her talk with Chloe the night before. She waits for a few seconds, eyes focused on the ceiling fan to try and just stop thinking about it, before she reaches for her phone and speed dials #2.

 _"Becaw,"_

Beca rolls her eyes at the old nickname. "Hey dude. Where are you?"

 _"Working. Some people have to actually do that, y'know. Not everyone can afford to wake up in luxurious hotel room every day."_

"Whatever, I work my ass off and you know it. That's the reason I can actually give you a paycheck at the end of the month."

Jesse chuckles, _"So easy to bust your balls. What's up?"_

"I saw Chloe last night."

 _"Chloe Beale?"_

"Yes, the only Chloe we both know, Jesse." Her tone is way too bitter, and Beca hates the way she sounds.

 _"Dude, take a chill pill. Did you see her at the club?"_

Beca sighs, her fingers playing with the hem of a cushion. "Yeah. Well, outside actually. She was gonna leave without even saying hello."

 _"What'd you tell her?"_

"I asked her where she had been for the last four years. She said she was sorry and she was busy and... God, I'm so mad!" Beca breathes heavily for a few seconds, and she clutches the cushion to her chest as if to give her strength to utter the next words. "And she's married."

 _"To a guy?"_

"Yes, to a guy named Greg. Chloe's straight."

 _"That we know of. We would have had more information about that had you admitted your feelings for her five years ago."_

"Fuck you." Beca bites out. "Y'know what, if you're just gonna kick me while I'm down, I can just-"

 _"Jeez, calm down. I'm sorry, alright? Okay, so Chloe's married, you're mad because she hasn't called or texted in the last four years, and you still have feelings for her."_

"I don't still have feelings for her!" Beca cries out. "I haven't seen her in five freaking years."

 _"Okay, whatever you say."_

"She said she's missed me. She didn't seem okay, Jesse, I- maybe I was too hard on her."

 _"What makes you say that? Her not seeming okay, that is."_

Beca thinks for a moment. "She wasn't her bubbly self. She didn't even try to hug me, goddammit."

 _"That's saying something. Are you going to see her again?"_

"I gave her my number. But I have no way of contacting her."

 _"Did you want to see her again?"_

Beca is silent for a while, debating whether or not she still wants that. "Yeah. I guess I do. I at least want an explanation, y'know?"

 _"Yeah, I get it. Keep me posted, okay?"_

"I will. Thanks Jesse. I'll see you when I get back, yeah?"

 _"Alright, see ya."_

* * *

Two days later, Beca still hasn't heard from Chloe and she's supposed to go back to LA in a few days. The woman has been on Beca's mind for the last couple days, as she kept replaying the conversation in her head. As Beca leaves the Radio Free Brooklyn building after an interview, she feels her phone buzz and looks at it hopefully. Her face drops when she sees it's only a text from Jesse.

 _Still no news?_

She grinds her teeth in frustration and quikly replies, **No**

 _Would you go see her if you knew where she was?_

 **What kind of question is that?**

 _Just answer it. Do you wanna see her?_

 **Of course I do.**

 _Her married name is Chloe Logan, she works as a music teacher at Hunter College High School._

Beca actually stops in the middle of crossing the street and reads the text over and over again to make sure her brain isn't messing with her. After being shouted at by a taxi driver, she jogs to the opposite sidewalk and speed dials Jesse.

"The hell?" she says as soon as she hears him pick up.

" _Nice to hear you voice too, Becaw."_

"I don't know if I should be happy or creeped that you found that info?"

" _You know I like to play detective."_

Beca rolls her eyes. "Right, Ted Mosby. Not that I'm not thankful, but how'd you do it?"

" _Well, as your agent, I was able to call the club manager for your gig on friday night and ask that he send me the guest list for the event. Since it was a private event, they had to have a guest list. I found a Gregory and Chloe Logan. Dude, he's like the New York County DA or something. With her married name, I managed to find Chloe's LinkedIn page, and called the high school asking to speak with her. They said she wasn't in today but that I could call back tomorrow."_

"Wow. I'm officialy freaked out," Beca teases. "But thank you for this, Jesse."

" _Phew, I thought you would be mad at me for doing this behind your back."_

Beca chuckles as she continues down the street. "Nah, you're fine."

Soon they switch to work mode, Jesse asking her how her interview went and reminding her of her next appointments in the Big Apple. When she hangs up, the clock on her phone tells her it's already 6.30 pm. Too dead on her feet to do any sightseeing, she decides to call it a day.

Beca tucks her phone into her back pocket and hails a cab to go back to her hotel. She orders in, takes a shower and watches a few episodes of F.R.I.E.N.D.S on Netflix while eating her food, before going to bed. After checking her twitter and instagram, she can't resist opening up her personal facebook and typing Chloe Logan in the search bar. Chloe Beale disappeared from social media a while ago, Beca has checked countless times.

Her research comes up empty, so she erases it and types Gregory Logan instead. A few profiles pop up, and she scrolls down until she comes upon a familiar face next to a redhead. She clicks on it, cursing when she sees his account is set to private. She is still able to enlarge his profile pic though, her throat cloging with a familiar heaviness as Chloe's wedding photo stares back at her.

She doesn't bother looking more closely at what's-his-face, prefering to scan Chloe's instead. Beca feels that familiar pang it causes her heart. Chloe looks stunning. Her blue eyes stand out more than ever, and her hair is pulled back from her face in a loose bun. She looks so happy, as much as Beca selfishly hates to admit it.

Beca's eyes drift aside the photo; Chloe is not tagged on it, and she doesn't see any comment from her on the picture. Sighing, Beca shuts her computer and gets ready for bed. After turning off the lights however, she grows fidgety, going over what could happen the following day, and the things she would say to Chloe if the former actually agrees to talk to her.

Eventually, sleep overtakes her.

* * *

"Say, who's this Beca?" While Chloe thought she could avoid this conversation, she was wrong. Greg didn't mention it when they came back from that clu the other night. Her step falters, thinking about the right words. They have just got home from a work thing, and Chloe was removing her shoes when her husband's voice stopped her movements.

"She's an old friend from college," The blonde replies as she pads barefoot toward their bedroom at the end of the hall. She hears Greg's heavy footsteps behind her and rolls her eyes. "We were in acapella together."

She turns on the lights and walks to their ensuite bathroom, where she begins to take off her jewelry. Greg follows, stopping in the doorway and leaning against the door frame. She looks at him briefly as his fingers work to undo the cuffs of his shirt.

"Ah, the infamous acapella club," he whistles lowly, and she knows he's mocking her. Chloe purses her lips, deciding it's best to say nothing, and takes off her earrings. She sets them in the box that's on the shelf next to the faucet and watches through the mirror as Greg comes to stand behind her, his hands on her hips. "Were you two close?"

"Not particularly."

"Really?" he raises an eyebrow at her. Chloe feels her heartbeat quicken and she wills it to simmer down before he notices. "Because she looked like someone had just kicked her puppy when I told her I was your husband. You seem pretty important to her."

"I haven't seen her in five _years_ , Greg." Chloe says with a sigh. "It doesn't matter, she means nothing to me."

Liar, liar, pants on fire.

The words taste like poison on her tongue, but Greg's next move conforts her in her decision to lie.

"Okay," Greg's tone is light, his grip on her hips loosening, and Chloe breathes out. "So you're not gonna use that card she gave you?"

"No."

"Good," he whispers into her ear, his front pressing into her back. "You know I don't like to share you."

Chloe doesn't say anything in return, simply casting her gaze down to her hands. She inhales when he pulls away from her and walks out of the bathroom. His scent, words and touch linger long after he's gone, like little puppets he controls when he's not here, trapping Chloe's mind in an invisible prison.


	2. Feels

Beca stands in front of Hunter College High school, where the cab has dropped her off, and looks at the tall building before her. She takes a deep breath and walks up the steps before pushing the large doors open. Once she is inside she turns right, toward the information desk.

"Excuse me," she says as she reaches the desk. A young woman looks up from her computer. "I'm looking for Mrs. Beale-" Beca curses under her breath, letting out a laugh, "I mean Mrs. Logan, she's a music teacher here? I'm her cousin, and I always forget she changed her name. I'm supposed to meet her for lunch."

"Right," the woman's eyes shift back to her computer and she scrolls for a while. "Mrs. Logan teaches in room 29, second floor. She doesn't have any classes right now. You can also try the teacher's lounge on the first floor, just follow the signs."

Beca smiles, "Thanks."

Shoving her hands inside her pockets Beca starts up the stairs. The building is huge, and Beca's glad the students aren't done with their classes yet, she would be having a panic attack with so many people walking those halls. She finally reaches the second floor, her confident step suddenly faltering as she follows the signs to classrooms 20-40. Before she reaches room 29, she takes a deep breath and looks through the door window.

Sure enough, Chloe is sat at her desk, apparently working on a music sheet. Beca tentatively reaches up, rapping her fingers against the wooden door. She hears a brisk 'come in!' and feels like she is about to faint.

"Pull your shit together, Mitchell." She mumbles to herself, pushing through the sudden wave of nausea, before pulling the door open. Chloe's head snaps up to greet her visitor, and her jaw drops.

"Beca."

Beca gives her her infamous embarrassed wave, her head cocked to the side slightly, as she steps further in. "Hey,"

The scene reminds her of her audition for the Bellas; Chloe sitting at the desk, Beca awkwardly walking in, feeling like she shouldn't even be there.

Chloe places her pen down and stands up, coming around her desk. "What are you doing here?"

The sun flitering through the windows highlights Chloe's blond hair, and Beca is distracted by it, not being used to it yet.

"Um, well since I haven't heard from you I decided to come to you and ask you if you maybe wanted to go to lunch?"

Chloe sits back against her desk, hands supporting her weight, "How'd you even find me?"

Beca's hands slip into the rear pockets of her pants as she shuffles her feet awkwardly. "I have a few connections. So, lunch?" She sees Chloe hesitate, and adds, "If you don't wanna see me anymore and want nothing to do with me, just say no and I'll be out of your hair... forever. I promise. I just... I've missed you, and your hugs and I want to know about your life and all that sappy shit."

Her last comment makes Chloe chuckle and Beca almost highfives herself. The sound is like a melody to her ears.

"Okay, I guess we can go have lunch." She says, reaching over to grab her bag on her desk.

Beca bites back the words that were about to roll off her tongue, figuring it is not the best time to sarcastically drop a 'Gee, don't sound too excited' in response. The short brunette is starting to think that maybe it was not the right decision to come to Chloe's schol, but then the latter is smiling at her and saying,

"I know a place just around the corner."

Beca lets out a breath she didn't even know she was holding and follows her out of the room and the building.

"Do you have classes afterwards?" Beca asks as they go down the steps and turn right.

Chloe swings her purse over her shoulder, shaking her head. "No, I had three periods this morning and that's it. Tuesday is a slow day, I usually grade papers or prepare my classes. And I'm only half-time so I work three days out of the week."

"How long have you been working here?"

"Almoste three years now."

"You've always wanted to teach music," Beca says softly, "I'm glad it finally happened."

Chloe smiles in response, "Thanks. So you still live in LA, huh?"

"Yeah, the music industry is pretty big over there."

She knows Chloe knows that, obviously, but she could not come up with anything better to say, or anything else to say at all. She can't remember if it's ever been that awkward with Chloe than it is now.

Beca trails behind Chloe as she steps inside the deli on the street corner. The café interior is cozy and bright, with floor to ceiling windows, leather couches and small tables tucked in the corners. They choose one of those, and are given menus.

Beca orders a BLT with sweet potato fries while Chloe goes for the avocado and goat cheese salad with toast. When the waiter leaves, Beca senses neither of them knows what to say. To her surprise, Chloe takes the lead.

"Congratulations on your Grammy nomination," she says before taking a sip of her iced tea. Beca mirrors her action, needing her body to cool down. "You must be excited to go?"

"Yeah, first Grammys, so it's definitely somethin'. Kind of nervous though."

"There's no way you're not winning this thing. I've listened to the other one nominated and while _Jane_ is great, she's doesn't compare to you. Your album is the bomb."

Beca raises an eyebrow, cocking her head to the side, "You listened to my album?"

Chloe looks at her playfully, "Have I been living under a rock? Yeah."

Beca is brought back to a certain moment in a shower. It seems like a lifetime ago. "And yet we haven't spoken in the last four years."

Beca knows her tone is cold; she can't help it. Chloe broke her heart and she is pretty sure the blonde would not have commented on it if Beca hadn't brought it up.

"Beca..."

As if saved by the bell, the waiter comes out of nowhere to set their food down on the table. Chloe's eyes momentarily leave Beca's to look down at her salad. She begins picking at a greenleaf, before she sets her fork down.

"I'm sorry for the pain I might have caused you... You know me well enough to know that it wasn't intentional."

Beca lifts her eyes toward the ceiling, scoffing, "Picking up the phone when I call isn't that hard, Chlo."

"I don't know what to tell you, Beca. Life got so busy with moving to New York, meeting Greg and getting this job... I was in over my head for a few months and I kind of drifted away from the Bellas. That's life, I guess." She pauses for a few seconds, "But I'm so glad to see you, please don't think otherwise. I've missed you and if you're ready to give me a second chance at being your friend, I'd be honored."

Beca ponders for a moment, Chloe's eyes boring into her as she waits for a reply. She isn't really one to give second chances, but this is Chloe. So, swallowing her pride, she mumbles a, "Fine." with an exaggerated sigh and an eye roll, her voice shifting to a lighter, teasing tone.

Chloe simply smiles in return, and it's the first one Beca actually sees that reaches her eyes.

"So, how long are you in New York for?"

"I'm supposed to fly out on Friday." That's three days away.

"Oh."

"But since my tour is over, I can talk to Jesse to see if I can hang around here a bit more. The Grammy's are not until another three weeks, so I just need to give a few interviews the week before, and I think I have a few private gigs before that."

"So Jesse works for you?"

Beca nods, "Yeah, he's my manager. He's the one who takes care of my schedule basically, and this year was kinda crazy, I don't know what I would have done without him." If Beca's honest, she thinks she spots a tiny bit of jealousy in Chloe's features. "By the way, I don't know if you know, but he's engaged to Aubrey."

It probably isn't the best timing to blurt that out, because Chloe chokes on her drink.

"Aca-excuse me?!" she almost shouts, drawing a few stares. "Jesse and Aubrey? Aubrey Posen?"

"The one and only," Beca says with a shudder, chuckling. "I was about as shocked as you when I found out. Even more so because I was apparently the one who brought them together or some sappy shit like that."

Chloe's eyebrows go up to her hairline, and she leans forward, propping her chin on her hand. "Spill, Mitchell."

Their time together flows by. They speak about Beca's life mostly, because Chloe keeps firing questions at the DJ while avoiding Beca's about her own life. At some point, they end up reminiscing their time as Bellas, laughing about their failed performances. Beca has managed to keep in touch with all the girls, so she gives brief summaries about their lives to Chloe.

"So Stacie is your neighbor?" Upon Beca's nod, Chloe winces, "I hope your walls are soundproofed."

"She lives in the house next door, so she'd have to be really really loud to actually be heard."

Eventually lunch turns to cofee, and after two hours of blissful time, Beca has to leave to prepare for her gig tonight.

"I would love it if you could come," the brunette offers, shrugging her coat on.

"To your gig?" Chloe asks as Beca flags down the waiter to ask for the bill.

"Yeah, it's at an underground club in Brooklyn, called the Loop I think."

The waiter places the bill down on the table, Beca snagging it away before Chloe can.

"Beca…"

"I was the one to invite you, so let me do this, please."

The blonde holds her hands up in surrender, "Fine. But next one is on me."

Beca's stomach flutters at the possibility of seeing Chloe again. She lays a enough bills on the table to easily cover lunch plus a generous tip. Chloe puts her jacket on and wraps her scarf around her neck before following Beca out the door.

"So, the gig? I can get you an invite." Beca says as they walk back toward Chloe's school building. Greeting her teeth, she adds, "I can get one for Greg if he wants to come, too."

Chloe smiles and looks at Beca briefly, her eyes squinting in the winter sunlight. "That's sweet of you, but we actually have this work party thing tonight."

"Oh, okay. What does he do?"

Obviously, she isn't supposed to know that.

"He's the New York County DA, currently running for Attorney General, so it's a bit hectic at the moment."

Beca's eyes widen. "Oh wow, ok."

"He often has these dinners so I usually go."

They make it in front of the building too quickly for Beca's taste, and Chloe stops to face her.

Beca bites her lip, "Can I see you tomorrow?"

To her surprise, Chloe doesn't hesitate. "Yeah. I have classes all day long, though."

"That's fine, I don't usually get up bright and early after a set. You wanna grab a drink after work?"

The taller woman nods. "Sure. I should be done by 6. Should I meet you somewhere?"

"I can meet you here. I got real close with the woman at the information desk so…" Beca's voice is dripping with sarcasm and it manages to draw a laugh from Chloe.

"Oh yeah, she's a teddy bear."

They smile at each other, until Beca breaks the eye contact and dips her head down, tucking a stray of hair behind her ear.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then." Chloe breaks the pending silence. "Thanks again for lunch." The blonde waves at Beca as she starts up the stairs.

"Bye," Beca said, waving back.

As she starts to walk back to her hotel, Beca realizes her heart is still racing and funny things are happening in her stomach.

"Dammit, Jesse was right."

* * *

The next day, Beca gets to Chloe's school ahead of schedule, and she finds herself scrolling through Instagram as she waits for Chloe to come out of the building. The bell signaling the end of the day rang a while ago and teenagers had run down the steps like hungry beasts, almost giving Beca a heart attack.

She grins when she sees someone sit beside her, and pockets her phone, turning slightly to face Chloe.

"Hi," the blonde greets her, her smile a bit shy compared to Beca's. "Sorry I was so long, got stuck with a colleague."

"It's okay," Beca stands and thrusts a hand out to Chloe, who accepts it and is pulled to her feet. "Lead the way."

Chloe beams and hops down the steps, Beca chuckling behind her at her kid-like enthusiasm. She definitely seems better than the day before, and Beca stops herself before she starts thinking she might have something to do with it.

"How was your gig last night?" The older woman asks as they start down the street. Beca slips her hands inside her pockets, tucking her chin inside the lapels of her coat. New York is absolutely freezing and she is starting to miss the LA weather.

"It was awesome. The place was packed."

Chloe rolls her eyes slightly, "Of course it was. You're Beca Mitchell."

The blush suddenly appearing on Beca's cheeks is from the chilly wind and nothing else. Definitely the wind.

"Will you come next time?" Beca asks after a while. She hates how her voice sounds so needy, but she knows she will berate herself if she doesn't at least ask. "It's tomorrow night."

"I'll have to ask Greg if we have anything planned."

Beca frowns. It seems like Chloe doesn't do much without Greg being in the picture. Then again, they are _married_. She figures if _she_ and Chloe were married, they would be attached to the hip. Beca flushes chastises herself for letting her mind drift to _that_ scenario.

When they get to the bar, Beca orders a beer and Chloe a mojito, along with some snacks.

"Cheers," Beca lifts her drink and Chloe mimmicks her, her glass clinking Beca's. They fall into a comfortable conversation about their respective days. Time flows easily and they order a second drink. They are talking about the Worlds, when the speakers begin to play the original version of Titanium. Although the volume is on pretty low, it sends a chill up Beca's spine, and judging from the pause in Chloe's speech, it doesn't leave the blonde indifferent either.

"I was surprised to hear my own voice at your gig the other day."

Beca purses her lips, looking down at her bottle, her fingers scratching at the label. "My career took off because of that mix. It's always been on my gig playlist, and will always be," Being the lightweight she is, Beca's filter is certainly looser than usual, "I guess when you disappeared, it was my only connection left to you, so I couldn't _not_ play it." She swallows the lump in her throat and meets Chloe's eyes. "And I always play it last because what better way for people to have a good ending to their night than hearing your voice?"

She swears Chloe's eyes are glistening, "Bec…"

"Jesus, that sounded so cheesy," she rolls her eyes at herself, pulling a chuckle from Chloe. She realizes Chloe's drink is empty. "Another drink?"

Chloe nods and slides her glass across the table so Beca can bring it back to the counter. The place started to fill up when they hit 9 pm, and it's packed now. Beca moves through the sea of people to reach the bar. She orders the same thing, taking a deep breath as she waits for their drinks. Her palms are clammy and her heart is racing. She could probably blame it on her buzz from the booze, but she knows deep down that the reason she's in such a state is none other than Chloe and her big blue eyes.

"Get yourself together, Mitchell."

She goes back to their table and sets their drinks down, just in time to see Chloe's phone light up, an upcoming call from Greg. Chloe reaches over and silences the device before shoving it out of the way.

"You can get that if you need to."

"No, it's fine. I'll call him back later."

The music suddenly stops and the DJ's voice fills the room, greeting everyone in the club and announcing the starts of his set. As his first mix blares through the speakers, Beca starts to bob her head up and down to the rhythm. She takes a large swig of her beer and stands, lightly unsteady, holding a hand out to Chloe.

"Let's go dance," she has to speak close to Chloe's ear to be heard over the increasing volume of the music. Chloe's hand slip in hers, and it's only the second physical contact the two have since meeting again. A spark lights up in Beca's fingertips, and she briefly wonders if Chloe felt it too.

The short brunette leads her toward the dancefloor rapidly filling with people, causing the two women to dance pretty close to one another. Beca tells herself repeatedly to keep her urges in check as only a sliver of space separates her from being pressed up against Chloe. She manages to keep her hands off the blonde the whole time they are on the dancefloor and then it's pushing close to 1 am, the night having flown by too fast for Beca's liking.

"I had an amazing time tonight, Bec." Chloe says as she hails a cab.

"I had a great time, too."

"I don't have classes tomorrow, you wanna check out the city with a one of a kind guide?"

Beca smiles, shuffling on her feet, "Sure. Who?" She teases.

Chloe laughs, pulling the cab door open. "Meet me at 1 by the fountain in Central Park? We can start from there."

"OK."

Chloe waves her goodbye before slipping inside. When the cab departs, the DJ is left on the sidewalk, already missing the blonde.

* * *

Thank you for the response on the last chapter. Chloe is bit less OOC in this chapter, that's the Beca effect, I guess. Greg will be back in the next chapter.

Reviews are always appreciated!


	3. Trouble

Thanks for the response on the last chapter! I have a few chapters of this written ahead, so I'll try and update regularly (I upload a chapter when I'm done writing one ahead).

I usually write in the past tense, I don't know why I chose present for this one, anyway just wanted to let you know that English is not my mother tongue and I sometimes struggle with tense coordination. Sorry if there are any mistakes.

This picks up where the previous chapter left off. Enjoy!

* * *

In her slightly drunken state, Chloe struggles to get the key in the lock. Her keychain falls to the floor and she curses, bending over on wobbly legs to retrieve them. She's just about to get up when light floods the hallway as the door opens. On the other side stands Greg, his demeanor tight and cold.

"Oh!" Chloe exclaims, standing back up with a stumble. "Thanks!"

She walks past him through the threshold, supporting herself on the wall to immediately take off her stilettos -she changed shoes before leaving school- because her feet are killing her after all the dancing.

"Where have you been?" Her husband's deep voice stops her in her tracks. She turns around, lifting her eyebrows, feigning innocence. Greg closes the door and spins around to face her. "I've called you like ten times, I was worried sick."

Chloe pulls her phone out of her skirt pocket and winces when a look at the screen indeed tells her she has 7 missed call from Greg.

"I'm sorry, I was going to call you back but then I forgot," a giggle flows past her lip, and Greg scoffs, closing the distance between them. Chloe's feet backtrack on their own accord, and she feels her back bump against the back of the couch.

"Are you _drunk_?"

Another giggle escapes her mouth before she can stop it. "Little bit."

Greg narrows his eyes at her, stopping a few feet away from her. Chloe's mind is fuzzy, and the alcohol in her system tames the fear building up in her stomach. "Who were you with?"

"Um, Janine, a friend from work."

Chloe doesn't know what pushes her to lie again about Beca. She watches as Greg's jaw clenches, the muscle twitching when he grinds his teeth. He makes the remaining distance separating them while Chloe takes one step back, navigating around the couch.

"Funny, first time I hear of a Janine."

His tone suffices to make Chloe sober up, fright destroying any alcohol induced carefree cell left in her body. As her back hits the wall behind her, she vaguely registers he has her pinned in a corner of the room.

"Sh-She's new in the city. Asked me if I wanted to get a drink, and th-then time flew by, I-I didn't realize it was that late."

Greg is so close she can feel his breath against her cheek. Chloe's mind is beginning to shut off, to block out the incoming pain. "What have I told you about going out?"

Chloe swallows drily. The words run out on their own, her brain having memorized them over the last couple of years, "That I shouldn't go anywhere without consulting you first."

Her husband hums in approval. She feels his hand grip her wrist in a tight hold and he lifts her arm above her head, "And what else?"

Chloe blinks away the moisture gathering in her eyes. "That I must come back here straight from work and wait for you to come home."

"Exactly," he murmurs into her ear. She suddenly feels the need to throw up, and goes to push past him, but his hold on her wrist tightens, making Chloe whimper. "I'm letting this time go. Better not happen again, you understand?"

Chloe casts her eyes down, her gaze focusing on the carpet, "Yes."

The back of his hand connects with her cheek, the sound bouncing off the walls alongs with Chloe's whimper. He seizes a handful of her hair harshly, forcing her to lift her head and meet his green orbs. "Look at me when you speak."

Her vision is slightly unsettled, but she manages to lock eyes with him and speaks as clearly as she can. "I understand."

"Good," he lets go of her and leans in, kissing her lips softly, then her nose and her forehead; Chloe's legs are barely supporting her weight, so she leans against him, and his arms snake around her waist in a lose hold, his thumb brushing against the small of her back in a soothing manner. "I'm sorry. You know how I worry when I'm not with you."

She nods against his chest where her forehead rests, her forearms resting against his chest. "I'm sorry."

He pulls away and tells her he loves her, and that they should go to bed. Chloe tells him she will meet him there and pushes off the wall only once he has departed down the hall. She stops by the bathroom near the entrance and looks at herself in the mirror, her composure breaking bit by bit. Bile rises to her throat and she spins around, barely making it to the toilet before she empties the contents of her stomach. She hasn't drunk that much in years, and her stomach is obsviously showing her how uncomfortable it is. She slumps against the ceramic bowl for a while, making sure the sickness has passed before standing up.

Sleep doesn't come easily that night, and when the next morning comes around, she wakes up with a groan, feeling like she has slept a grand total of two hours.

"Baby," she opens her eyes to find her husband hovering above her, already dressed in his work clothes. "I have to go to work."

Chloe rubs her eyes, lightly stretching. "M'okay."

He sets something on the table and Chloe squints at it. "Here, a glass of water and some aspirin."

"Thanks."

He bends down and presses his lips to her forehead. "I'll see you tonight. I love you."

"Love you, too."

She manages to sleep for another hour or so, before getting up and fixing herself some breakfast. To her surprise, a stack of pancakes is waiting for her on a plate, with a cute note from Greg. She re-heats them and watches a re-run of Grey's Anatomy on TV as she eats. She's brought out of her reverie when her phone chimes. It's sitting on the coffee table, where she left it last night. She stretches her arm to pick it up without having to stand up, pausing momentarily when she sees the bruise around her wrist as her cardigan slides up her arm. She chooses to ignore it and swipes her finger over the screen to unlock it.

 _Hey! Are we still on today? I have my I heart NY shirt on and everything, like a true tourist._

Chloe giggles, and checks the time. It's just a little over ten, so she still has three hours before she's supposed to meet Beca. Somehow, she feels it's not soon enough.

 **Of course :) Wanna meet for lunch before?**

The reply is instant.

 _Definitely. Where?_

 **How does Indian sound?**

 _You read my mind._

Chloe laughs once more and types in the address of a restaurant close to Central Park, before pressing send.

 _Got it, see you in a couple hours :)_

The blonde sets her phone down and pads to the bathroom, in urgent need of a shower. She strips off her pajamas and walks under the spray, moaning at the feeling of hot water on her skin. She spends more time in the shower than she usually does, and dries herself before stepping out.

She takes her time choosing what to wear, opting for a dark green shirt, a pair of black jeans and knee-high brown boots. She shrugs on a mid-thigh length, dark grey coat and wraps a scarf around her neck before grabbing her keys and shutting the door on her way out.

She decides to walk there; though it's a bit of a long way, but she needs some fresh air to gather her thoughts.

She spots Beca from across the street and grins, a flutter settling in her belly.

"Hi," she calls out, pulling Beca's attention to her.

"Hey," Beca gives her a lopsided grin and opens the door of the restaurant for her. They settle down at a table and shrug off their coats.

"What are you getting?" Chloe asks after a while, meeting Beca's eyes over the menu.

Beca purses her lips, "Probably the tikka masala chicken," Chloe is about to say hers but Beca beats her to it. "And let me guess, you're getting the shrimp biryani?" Chloe blushes, making Beca chuckle. "Do I know you or do I know you?"

Chloe's smile falters; not even Greg remembers her go-to Indian dish. And yet, after four years without any contact, Beca does. Beca must have noticed her change in demeanor because she closes her menu and leans closer, a crease forming between her eyebrows.

"You okay?"

Chloe wills her voice to remain steady, "I'm fine. Just a bit hungover."

"And I'm supposed to be the lightweight." Beca mumbles, her eyes light.

They order their food and talk for a bit about Beca's gig, and Chloe's job. It's comfortable, and Chloe's mind manages to escape its prison for a little while.

"So, the Grammy's are coming up. Is your speech ready?"

Beca sighs, "I'm probably not gonna win."

This makes Chloe scoff, "As if."

"And it's only in like, three weeks," she says and then smiles sheepishly. "But yeah, my speech is ready." She admits a beat later, and Chloe beams.

"I'll be watching."

"Okay, this might sound crazy but…" Beca takes a deep breath, straightening in her seat and tugging at her shirt, nervousness washing over her usually relaxed features. "I don't have anyone coming with me and I thought…" she pauses, "Would you like to be my plus-one?"

"Your plus-one," Chloe echoes, eyebrows almost meeting her hairline. "To the Grammy's? In LA?"

"Yeah."

Had she asked Chloe a few years ago, the blonde would have jumped up and down and thrown her arms around Beca. But the only thing she can think about right now is Greg's possible reaction to this and the consequences.

"I can't," she finds herself saying, the turndown stinging her tongue. "I'm sorry."

She doesn't offer any explanation because she doesn't know what to say. She watches as Beca's smile drops in disappointment and kicks herself for it.

"Oh, it's fine," the brunette says, waving her hand. "I knew it was a long shot so, no sweat."

The food arrives just in time for there not to be any awkward silence. After eating until they are about to burst, the waiter brings them the check and Chloe reaches for it before Beca can, and she expects Beca to say something, but finds her staring at her arm when she looks up.

"What is it?" Chloe asks, slightly growing self-conscious under the brunette's gaze.

"Your wrist," she says, "What happened?"

Chloe looks down and sees the blueish mark marring her skin. The mark is outlined, it's obvious it was caused by something squeezing her wrist. Cursing herself, she forces a smile, "Oh, it's nothing."

Beca looks like she isn't about to let it go, while Chloe's mind is reeling to find a good enough lie. "Chloe."

"Okay fine," Chloe sighs, "If you really need to know, I've had this fantasy for a while that involves handcuffs. And they are a little rough on the skin."

She knows this would embarrass Beca, and hates having to tell her that, but it's the better alternative; telling the truth would have her all worried when it is uncalled for. What happened last night was nothing; Greg has been stressed out about the upcoming elections, and he was worried about her not picking up her phone, so Chloe feels it's her fault, really.

"Oh," Beca flushes as realization dawns on her. Embarrassed as predicted, she breaks eye contact. "Sorry."

"No sweat," Chloe says, forcing a laugh. She takes care of the check and hands it to the waiter. They both put on their coats, Chloe gets her card and receipt and they are out of the restaurant and walking toward the park a minute later.

The afternoon with Beca takes Chloe's mind off things, and it feels wonderful. They stroll in the park, get some ice-cream, even though Beca complains the whole time that it's not normal to want ice-cream in winter and Chloe arguing back that it's always a good time to have one. But then Beca tastes the vanilla flavor and can't shut up about how delicious it is.

"Come on," Chloe says once they finish their snack, grabbing Beca's hand and dragging her to the ice-skating rink.

"Ice-skating?" Beca says with a halt and a scared off expression on her face. "Ha! Nope. No, no. Nope."

"Why not?"

"Because these things," she points at the skates, "Can cut off fingers. And I don't trust myself not to fall."

Chloe rolls her eyes. "Don't worry, I'll teach you."

Beca whines but follows Chloe anyway. They put their skates on and Beca wobblily walks to the rink. Chloe gets past her and steps on the ice, turning around to face Beca and holding out a hand.

"Come on."

It's like watching Bambi learn how to walk; Beca takes a few steps, then puts her weight back rather than forward and gets really close to falling on her butt.

"You have to lean a little bit forward," Chloe instructs.

Beca's eyes are so wide it's almost comical, "I'm gonna fall, Chlo."

"No, you're not." Chloe switches from skating next to Beca to skating backwards, reaching for Beca's hands. "Just hold onto me."

Beca exhales in relief as she slips her hands into Chloe's waiting ones. Chloe glides around the ice rink backwards, easily dodging the other skaters they glide past. "I would tell you to stop showing off but you're literally the last thread my life's hanging on right now."

"You're such a drama queen, Mitchell."

Beca glares, "Hush."

They skate for about half an hour, and by the end Beca manages to complete a few laps, apparently having gotten over the fear of ending the trip to the nearest hospital. Chloe takes that opportunity to make some twirls and loops, Beca whistling as she comes to a stop in front of her.

"Dude," Beca exclaims, her jaw agape. "How are you this good?!"

Light blush taints Chloe's cheeks. "I was kind of _Florida 2004 Ice Skating champion_."

She walks out of the rink, leaving a flabbergasted Beca behind.

"What?!" Beca gasps, trying her best to make it out of the rink without planting her face onto the rug covered ground. "How did I not know about this?! And there's ice in Florida?"

Chloe sits down to pull off her skates, Beca mirroring her a few seconds later. "Indoor ice, silly. And I guess it never came up."

"You have other secret talents that I don't know about?"

Chloe's cheeks turn ablaze once more. "No, not that I can think of."

"Good," Beca says, shoving her feet into her ankle boots. "Cause I'm starting to feel slightly under skilled here."

Chloe chuckles as they stand up to hand back their skates. "Says the future Grammy winner."

Beca smacks her arm lightly, "Dude, you're gonna jinx it."

They banter for a few more minutes and continue their tour. They go up the Empire State, where Beca insists they take a selfie, then to Time Square and settle in a cozy café until 4:30, when Chloe announces she needs to get home.

"Thanks for today," the blonde says softly. "I really enjoyed it."

"Me, too," Beca replies, locking eyes with Chloe. "Can I have a Chloe Beale hug? I miss those."

Chloe smiles fondly and opens her arms, "Get in here."

The hug is longer than Chloe intended for, but she isn't about to complain. She can't remember the last time Beca asked for a hug, if ever, as Chloe was usually the one claiming that hugs are mandatory at least once a day when they were at Barden, and Beca was usually the one to whine but comply.

She feels Beca sigh in her embrace and closes her eyes, enjoying the warmth and the way the brunette's arms feel around her waist, even if the sudden quickening of her heartbeat is unsettling. She knows Beca is leaving the morning after, so she tightens her hold a little bit, taking all the mending she can get.

"I had a great time with you, Chlo."

The familiar nickname has Chloe's lips turn upward into a smile.

"So did I."

"I don't know when I'll be able to come back here, but maybe you could come to LA? I'm sure Aubrey would love to see you. And Stacie, too."

The smile wipes off from Chloe's face instantly. "Oh, I don't know. She must be pretty mad at me."

"She'll get over it."

As much as Chloe wants to escape New York for a little while, she knows it will be difficult.

"I would love to," she says, and it's the truth. "I'll have to check my schedule and see if it's possible."

"OK," Beca sighs, "Don't be a stranger until then, alright?"

Chloe takes Beca's hand and gives it a squeeze. "I promise." She hails a cab and lets go of Beca's fingers, waving her goodbye before she steps inside. As she sits in the vehicule taking her away from Beca, an uncomfortable feeling settles in her stomach. Before she can let her thoughts drift away, her phone chimes.

It's the photo she snapped with Beca at the top of the Empire State Building. They both have wide grins on their faces and glint in their eyes. Chloe laughs at the caption underneath it.

 _Who would have thought **I** would ever be the one to request a selfie? ;)_

Chloe frowns after a few seconds. Beca's right. Chloe has always been the one obsessed with taking selfies and she can't remember when she stopped taking them. She can't remember when she started to become a different person.

Looking at the photo one last time, she goes back to her message thread and deletes it.

Better safe than sorry.


	4. Revelation

**Thanks for the reviews on the previous chapter, I can feel your hatred for Greg all the way through my computer screen, ha! Sadly, he's going to stick around for a few more chapters.**

 **Y'all get a break from him in this chapter, because it focuses on Beca, who's back in LA. Kinda filler. Enjoy!**

* * *

Beca doesn't really mind leaving New York. She is kind of glad to get away from the cold weather; she's missed LA's sunshine and she's glad to go back to her place after several months of touring the US. She managed to fly back to LA from time to time, but she feels like she has just spent the last three months in hotels or airports.

However, she's sad to leave Chloe. The few days spent with her have been the best Beca's had in a while. It's reminded her of her time at Barden; life was much simpler back then. Maybe it was just Chloe's bubbliness that made it simple. Back then, the redhead just embraced what life threw at her, and Beca had always admired her for that.

Beca spends most of the three-hour flight working on her new mix, which she intends on playing at the iHeart Radio in a couple months. As the plane touches down and safely slows, Beca lets out a breath. Even though she flies many times during a year, taking the plane makes her uneasy.

She steps off the plane and goes through identity check, before pulling her sunglasses out of her coat and placing them over her eyes, ready to be swarmed by the paparazzi. True to her intuition, there's a group of about ten journalists waiting outside of LAX.

"Beca, how do you feel just three weeks from the Grammys?"

"Will you be performing?"

"Who's the blonde you were with in New York?"

While Beca usually ignores them, or gives them the finger (and then gets an earful from her PR or Jesse), the last question puts a halt to her determined step to get out of here. She didn't even notice them in New York, those sneaky bastards. She hopes for Chloe's sake that the press don't make a big deal out of the photos, if there are any.

She spots Jesse waiting next to his car, and he grabs her bag of equipment and suitacse and puts them in the trunk as Beca steps inside, slouching into the seat in a very unladylike manner. She pulls off her sunglasses as Jesse gets behind the wheel, and turns to give him a hug.

"How was the flight?"

She grunts, realizing that doesn't give Jesse much information, but cannot care less. She takes off her shoes and props her feet up on the dashboard just before Jesse shoves them off, saying something about her not letting anyone do that anywhere near her equipment at the studio.

"How was New York?" Jesse asks after stirring into traffic.

"It was fine."

Jesse rolls his eyes as he pulls onto the freeway, "How is Chloe?"

At the mention of Chloe's name, a smile appears on Beca's face before she can even try and stop it.

"Hey, would you look at that, it smiles!" Jesse teases, and Beca reaches over to smack his arm. Her hand ends up hurting probably more than Jesse's bicep, she thinks, such a _wuss_. "Seriously though, how is she? You didn't give me much info over the phone. I'd like to know if it was worth it going all detective mode."

"It was amazing, ok?" Beca says, sitting upright and turning her upper body toward Jesse, "I had the best time of my life, and Chloe is still perfect, and now I'm so screwed because I know I still have feelings for her but she's fucking married and apparently in love so there's nothing I can really do about it. And don't you dare start a parade saying, 'I told you so' or something belonging to that tune, because I will punch you, Swanson."

She won't punch him, because one, he's driving, and two, her previous act of violence proved her that she would be the one in pain. She's out of breath after her rant and Jesse waits a beat before speaking, "You done?"

Beca winces, looking down at her folded hands on her lap, "I'm sorry. I just… I miss her already."

"It's okay," he reaches over and squeezes her shoulder. "But is she okay though? First time you spoke about her on the phone you said something was off about her."

"Yeah, maybe I was wrong. It was weird the first time we saw each other, a little bit awkward the second time, but then it felt like we had never been apart. But you should have seen how cold she was to me on the first night, outside the club, it was like she was a different person."

"Are you going to keep in touch with her?"

Beca rests her head against the window, enjoying the cool feeling of the glass against her skin as she watches the concrete scenery go by, "That's the plan. But I can't be too sure she won't shut me out again. I asked her to come visit me here. Hell, I even asked her to come with me to the Grammys."

"Aca-excuse me?!" Jesse lets out in a high pitch, making Beca jump slightly. "You're supposed to take me."

"Chill out, she said no," Beca eyes her best friend warily, "And you've been spending way too much time with Aubrey, dude."

"Fuck you." Jesse bites out as he pulls off the freeway toward Beverly Hills.

"Aw, are you upset?"

"No." Beca smirks when she realizes he's _pouting_.

"Do you wanna be my plus-one at the Grammys?"

Jesse lets out a puff of air, his shoulders slacking, "Well, now I just feel like second-choice."

Beca chuckles, "You're a pain in the ass, Swanson, I don't even know why I put up with you."

"Please, I should be the one complaining."

They banter back and forth for a while, and Beca's glad she's back home with her best friend. Her phone chimes in her lap and she looks down at the device. She hasn't even bothered to check it after turning it back on once she landed. The screen displays a few Instagram and Twitter notifications, a text from Emily and two from Chloe. She chooses to open the latter.

 _Safely landed?_

That one is from about five minutes prior to landing, and another one has just come through a few seconds ago:

 _?_

She smiles despite herself and quickly types a reply.

 **Yes, mom. And I didn't accept any ride from a stranger, Jesse came to pick me up.**

Beca is about to put her phone away and resume conversation with Jesse, but she sees the three dots popping up in the thread, indicating that Chloe's typing an answer.

 _Bite me, Mitchell._

 **Gladly.** Beca begins to type, the mental image it generates making her blush, and she quickly erases her reply, replacing it by a, **Sorry. I'm safe and sound, Chlo. Feels good to be home. I miss you though.**

Biting down on her bottom lip, she erases the last four words and presses send. She focuses back on the road, her phone chiming just a few seconds later.

 _I bet. What do you have planned today?_

The fact that Chloe is making conversation has a smile stretch across her face and her fingers tingle.

"What's the schedule like the next couple days?" she asks Jesse, turning sideways in her seat.

"Not much today, I thought it would be better for you to have the day off and relax. Tomorrow you're in the studio the whole day with Emily to can the remaining bit of her album, and on Monday you're on Fallon."

"Ugh," Beca groans, pressing her head against the headrest. "That guy's super awkward. It always feels like his laugh is just so not natural."

"Yeah," Jesse agrees. "But on the good note, Ellen's team contacted me and asked for you to be on the show the week following the Grammys."

"You said yes, right?"

"Well, I was waiting to ask you first."

"Jesse!" Beca cries, her jaw almost on the floor, "The spot has probably been filled by now! You don't tell Ellen, 'we'll see'!"

"I know," Jesse smirks, briefly gazing at her before focusing back on the road. "I said yes immediately, you idiot."

That earns him another smack. Beca knows Jesse knows how much she adores Ellen and her show and how she's dreamed about being invited on it.

"I don't think I would have forgiven you if you hadn't said yes."

"Now who's being the drama queen?"

Jesse pulls into Beca's driveway and shuts the ignition off. Beca sighs as she walks through the door; it feels so good to be home. Jesse drops her bag off and tells her he will see her tomorrow. She thanks him and hugs him before he leaves, smiling when he presses a gentle kiss on her head. As the door clicks shut following his departure, Beca proceeds to step out of her shoes and take off her jacket before plopping down on the couch. Remembering she still hasn't replied to Chloe, she takes her phone out of her pocket and starts to type her answer, before deciding to call her instead.

Chloe picks up on the second ring, and Beca finds herself sighing in relief that she hasn't ignored the call.

" _Miss me already?"_

Yes.

"Don't put ideas into your head, Beale."

Nice save.

" _What's up?"_

"Well, I just got home, and it's about 70° over here, so you're bound to be jealous."

" _Nah, I like winter."_

Beca moves so that she's laying down, staring at the ceiling. "You're even weirder than I thought. What'cha doing?"

" _Lunch break. I have a class in fifteen. You?"_

"Nothing much. I'm just gonna chill for the day. I have Emily in the studio the whole day tomorrow, recording vocals."

" _Emily Junk? You're her producer?"_

"Yep."

" _Oh wow."_ There's a pause, and Beca pulls her phone away from her ear to check it hasn't disconnected. _"I'm glad some Bellas became successful,"_ Chloe lets her sentence hang in the air and Beca wonders if she is going to add something.

"Success is overrated. As long as you like what you do, to me that's what you call success."

Chloe is silent for a moment. She obviously got the fact that Beca is talking about her. _"Wise words, Mitchell. Wise words."_

"Hey, I can act like a grown up from time to time." Chloe chuckles. "Guess what?"

" _What?"_

"I'm scheduled to be on _Ellen_ after the Grammys."

" _Ellen Degeneres?"_

Beca has a smug smile on her lips, even though Chloe can't see it. "The one and only."

" _Oh my God!"_ Chloe squeals, making Beca pull the phone away from her ear and trying to figure if she's gonna have permanent ear damage from the high pitched noise. _"That's awesome. I'm so jealous right now."_

Beca is about to say that she can always be backstage with her, but she doesn't want to freak Chloe out, again. _Baby steps_ , Beca reminds herself. Asking her to the Grammys was definitely too big, too soon.

"I'll send you a selfie with Ellen."

" _You've become addicted to selfies, Bec."_

Talking to Chloe makes Beca feel giddy, she notes. She is grinning like a fucking fool, just staring at the ceiling.

"Yeah, yeah." A pause, "So, when are you coming down here?"

" _As a matter of fact, I was looking at my schedule this morning, and I could come the week before the Grammys. Is that ok or will you be too busy with interviews?"_

Beca is speechless. She never expected Chloe to actually follow through. Her grin is now about to split her goddamn face into two, and her heart is doing some kind of somersault in her chest.

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine."

She has no clue what her schedule looks like for that week. But she will make time. Jesse will most likely want to kill her, but then he would be unemployed, so Beca thinks she's pretty safe.

" _Great! I'll take a look at flights options and keep you posted. I need to let you go, classes won't teach themselves."_

"Sounds good. Talk to you soon, bye."

Long after the call has disconnected, Beca lies there in a daze, clutching her phone to her chest. Part of her feels silly for acting like this, knowing deep down she will probably be the one getting hurt in the end. But love makes you do irrational stuff sometimes, so that will be Beca's excuse when her heart ends up broken.

"Fuck."

* * *

"Okay, that was great Legacy, I think I got everything," Beca's voice carries into the recording booth and gives Emily a thumb up. The younger woman beams and sets the headphone aside before joining Beca on the other side of the window.

"How much time until it's done?" Emily says excitedly, plopping down on the chair next to Beca.

"Well, I need to mix and master the last couple songs we recorded, so I'd say a few weeks. No worries, your album will be released on the set date."

Emily waves her off, "I wasn't worried." She props her feet on the side of the mixing board, quickly taking them off when Beca glares at her. "Sorry. How was New York?"

"It was good. I had a few interesting gigs and I bumped into Chloe in a club."

Emily's eyes widen, "No way!"

"Yes way."

"Well? Spill!"

Beca frowns, looking up from her computer, "What do you mean?"

"Did you two… you know?"

Beca almost chokes on her own saliva, "What! No! What's wrong with you?"

"Jesus, chill," Emily says with a laugh. "Well, you've had the hots for each other for like, forever, so I just figured, since you met in a club and all, with alcohol involved..."

The first part of Emily's sentence gets Beca's full attention, and she rolls her chair around to face Emily properly, "Huh?"

Emily shrugs, leaning back in her own chair, "C'mon, you two gave out some crazy vibes. I actually thought you were together when I first auditioned for the Bellas. You had this kind of chemistry and I mean… the way Chloe looked at you spoke volumes."

The air is knocked out of her lungs, and Beca feels slightly light headed, her mouth going dry. She looks around for a bottle of water but then she remembers she's not one of those healthy people who never leave the house without one. "She did?"

Emily pauses, looking at her producer incredulously. "C'mon, nobody ever tell you this?"

"No! I… no. I always thought I was the one attracted to Chloe and figured she wasn't interested so I never said anything."

"Oh wow. I'm sorry, I thought you knew. I mean, it was obvious to many of us."

"Even Fat Amy?" Beca asks, cocking her head to the side.

Emily scoffs, biting back a laugh, " _Especially_ Fat Amy. She and Cynthia Rose had this bet going on on how much time it would take you or Chloe to finally break the ice."

"What?!" Beca shrieks and seizes the front of her t-shirt, giving it a few tugs to create some air, the material having started to stick to her skin as the room turns hotter by the second. She feels like she's suffocating, like every memory from college assaults her brain and it's currently in over-drive, trying to analyse any sign Chloe might have given her that she liked her. She wonders how everybody knew Chloe was attracted to her while she had been so clueless.

She's up on her feet and pacing around the room in a beat, Emily watching her go back and forth in the small area, her head bobbing right to left as if she's watching a tennis match.

"How am I only finding out about this now?! I mean, Chloe and I had a thing just before we parted ways at Barden but I didn't know feelings were involved on her part."

Emily's eyes narrow, "What thing?"

Beca lifts her hand to her mouth and starts to nibble at her nails. She really needs to check her brain-to-mouth filter. She wasn't intending on spilling _that_ out. Well, the cat's out of the bag now. "Chloe had been talking to me about not experimenting enough in college and on our last night at Barden, we were heavily intoxicated and I finally pushed my fears aside and well... we had sex."

"O-M-ACA-G!" Emily draws out, her mouth hanging open. She shakes her head, as if finding hard to believe what she's just heard. "Wow, okay. And?"

Beca buries her face in her hands, groaning. She stops pacing and slouches back down in her chair. "Well, afterwards, as I thought it was only probably a one-night-stand to her, I didn't say anything about my feelings." Emily slaps her arm. "Ow! What's that for?"

"You had sex with her and didn't tell her you loved her?"

"No. You know me, I got scared. I was afraid of what she might say and that I would lose her friendship. I lost it anyway so no need to yell at me, I'm mad at myself enough as it is."

Emily sighs, blinking a few times as if to gather her thoughts, "Okay, so nothing happened in New York?"

"No. We hadn't seen each other in five freaking years. Plus, she's married."

"Oh." Emily looks like she is the most disappointed of the two. "And, you're still hooked."

"What? No, I'm not." Beca's voice squeaks. She doesn't need everyone to know about her longing, she's embarrassed enough as it is. And as much as she loves Emily Junk, that girl can be a pain in the ass when she wants something to happen.

"Beca, I've known you for five years and I know your voice gets high pitched when you lie. So, don't lie to me."

Damn it.

Beca drops her head on the board and bumps her forehead against the surface several times. "Ugh, I don't know. I might have feelings for her, again. If they were ever gone at some point, that is." Beca closes her eyes briefly, before straightening. "I've only seen her a couple days and I just… God, it's like she has superpowers. I turn weak whenever she's around. But she's married now, so it doesn't matter anymore."

"Sweetie," Emily cooes, rolling her chair closer to Beca so she can hug her. Beca pretends not to enjoy it, making a face, but it actually feels nice to have somebody care like Emily does. "We should go out," the younger woman states when she pulls away. "Let's go out."

"Ugh, I don't know."

Emily rolls her eyes and stands. "C'mon, grandma. You need to get drunk and have some meaningless sex."

Beca whines like a six-year-old, "But I don't wanna."

Emily stands there, her hands on her hips, an incredulous look on her face. "Wow. Chloe broke you."

It's Beca's turn to roll her eyes, "Don't be ridiculous."

"Okay, let's go out then. There's this new club I've been wanting to check out for a while. I'm sure Stacie's down to come with us."

"She's always down to do anything that can lead to a one-night-stand," Beca shuts her laptop and gets to her feet, pointing a finger towards Emily. "Alright, but when I decide to go home, no whining, even if it's early."

Emily does a mock salute, "Yes, ma'am."

That night, Beca ends up running into one of her exes and taking her back to her house for some "meaningless sex" as Emily calls it. It's rough, and void of any sentiment, but it takes the edge off. Beca shoes her out the door afterwards, because she doesn't do cuddling, or talking, and mostly because the girl is not Chloe.


	5. Reunion

When Chloe gets home after class, she is surprised to find Greg already there and working on dinner. He rarely ever cooks, and always insists that Chloe has dinner started by the time he gets home, so this comes as a surprise to the blonde. She unwraps her scarf from her neck and sets her bag on the couch before swiftly moving to the kitchen.

"Hi," she greets happily, wrapping her arms around Greg's waist from behind. She presses a kiss on the back of his neck.

He turns in her arms and she brings them up so they are looped around his neck. "Hey." He kisses her quickly, his own arms circling her hips. "How was your day?"

Chloe raises her eyebrows. He never asks about her day either. "It was okay. Yours?"

She detangles herself from his hold and goes to the fridge to get the bottle of wine. "Fine. Lots of stuff going on with the elections. You remember we have a work dinner tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah," Chloe says, trying to sound sure of herself. The dinner had slipped her mind, the only thing on it being her trip to LA and how she needs to talk to him about it. "Whatcha making?"

"Coq au vin." Greg answers as he turns back to the stove.

Chloe's nose scrunches up. She really isn't a fan of chicken, in fact she rarely eats any meat anymore. "Yum."

She pours herself a glass and takes a large gulp, needing the alcohol to calm her nerves before she brings the subject up. "Hey, I wanted to ask you something."

Greg puts a lid on the saucer and spins around, crossing his arms over his chest. He raises an eyebrow when she remains silent.

"I, uh, a friend who lives in LA is getting married and I wanted to know if it was okay if I flew out there for a few days end of next week for her engagement party."

Greg cocks his head to the side, "What friend?"

"Aubrey Posen."

Greg laughs, "The captain to your silly acapella group?"

Chloe bites her tongue not to say anything snarky in reply. "Yes."

"I thought you didn't speak to her anymore?"

"She was the one to contact me," Chloe wills her body to remain calm and steady, "I didn't reach out or anything."

Greg approaches her slowly, like a predator seeking out its prey, and it makes Chloe's sking crawl in discomfort. "How did she even find a way to contact you?"

"Well, you know, social media and stuff. I still have my LinkedIn account so that's probably how."

Her husband's eyes narrow and he has come so close that Chloe's now pressed against the counter. "Does this have anything to do with that Beca Mitchell we saw the other night?"

Chloe swallows, keeping her chin high. "No."

His hand finds her hip, his thumb grazing her skin under her shirt. "You wouldn't lie to me about that, would you?"

Chloe's voice doesn't tremble. "No."

His other hand comes to rest on her backside, giving it a squeeze, "Cause if you did, you know what the consequences would be, correct?"

Chloe's head bobs up and down, "Yes."

"Good," Greg settles, pulling away from her lightly. "Dinner's ready, you should set the table."

He lets her go and turns to walk out of the kitchen.

"Greg?" Chloe calls out, "Does this mean I can go?"

"I'll think about it," she watches as he grabs her phone from the coffee table. She knows the pattern; he checks her message thread to make sure she isn't doing anything inappropriate. Chloe is used to it by now, and doesn't question it anymore. Every time she texts Beca, she deletes the message thread, and Beca's name is entered as 'Janine' into her phone. Janine is actually a colleague from school who she barely speaks too, but she has become Chloe's alibi for all sorts of things that she knows Greg isn't happy about.

Chloe is aware she's playing with fire, but she can't help it; she isn't about to jeopardize the second chance Beca is giving her.

"Okay," Greg says after a while, stirring Chloe from her reverie. Looking satisfied, he sets her phone back on the table. "You can go to LA. Three days tops. I need you back here on the twenty-fifth for the pre-election dinner."

"Three days? But that's only two full days there."

Greg makes his way back to the kitchen, "Don't push it, Chloe. You can leave early on the twenty-first and be back late on the twenty-fourth."

Chloe forces a smile. "OK."

"I need you by my side until and after I win this thing, babe," he says, brushing against her slightly. "You're my rock, I wouldn't be able to win without you."

* * *

Chloe sighs as she looks at herself in the mirror. She puts the finishing touches to her make-up and rubs her lips together to evenly spread her lipstick. She ruffles her blonde, cropped hair and walks out of the bathroom. Untying her robe, she lets it fall to the floor, leaving her in lacy black matching underwear to look through her closet for her dress.

Once she's found it, she steps in it and zips it up. It's a form-fitting, cobalt blue dress with two wide straps. It hugs Chloe's curves perfectly and stops just above the knees. She reaches inside her shoe closet and takes her black pumps out, sliding her feet into it.

Gazing at herself in the body-length mirror on the back of their bedroom door, she gives herself a satisfied nod on her finished look.

"You ready?" Greg calls out from the end of the hallway, and Chloe grabs her clutch before joining him. "Hold on," he reaches out and grabs her hand, pulling her against him. To her surprise, he leans down and kisses her lips softly. "You look amazing, baby."

Her hand comes up to flatten the lapels of his suit. "Thank you."

Chloe follows him out the door, sighing softly. She isn't really looking forward to this work party. It's all about politics and etiquette and dull people. The party is taking place at the Ritz, and the only thing that comforts Chloe is the buffet and free booze.

She stays by Greg's side as he introduces her to some of the investors for his campaign and she smiles politely, shaking hands and acting like the good wife she is.

When he lets her go to talk alone to some partners, Chloe lets out a breath and moves to the open bar. She has just had that glass of champagne and is in the mood for something stronger. She orders a gin, tossing it back as soon as the glass is handed to her.

"Chloe!" she hears a shrill voice behind her and closes her eyes, before turning around, sporting one of her best fake smiles.

"Sandra, hi!" She accepts the hug she is given as well as the two air kisses on her cheek. Sandra is one of Greg's co-workers' wife, with whom Chloe has grabbed a coffee a handful of times.

"How are you sweetie?" the older woman asks, setting a hand on Chloe's forearm.

"I'm good, thank you. How are the children?"

As Sandra begins her monologue about how Lisa is about to graduate high school at the top of her class and Benjamin Jr. has made it to the football team, Chloe's brain blocks her voice out. She unconsciously nods and smiles at appropriate times, without really giving a fuck as to what's being said.

She orders another gin, and has time to finish it at a normal pace before Sandra's story is over. She feels better now, the gentle buzz from the alcohol making conversation more pleasant. Sandra has quieted down -finally- when it is announced that the New York county DA will make a toast.

Chloe watches as her husband gets on stage, smiling at the audience in front of him.

"Thank you for being here tonight, my friends. The elections are in just a month now, and things are looking quite good, if I may say. Everything that's been done so far is thanks to you. I could not ask for a better team, and I hope we will all be rewarded in the end. Thank you, enjoy the rest of the evening."

Chloe sighs yet again as she reaches for her third drink. Thankfully Sandra has found someone else to talk their ear off, and Chloe sits at the bar, absentmindedly playing with her wedding ring as she lets her thoughts drift off.

" _Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" Chloe rushes out as she bends down to retrieve the files the person she bumped into was carrying._

" _It's fine," the man answers, flashing her a crooked smile as he takes the files from her. "Thank you."_

 _Chloe takes a second as her eyes meet the greenest one she has ever seen. The man is tall, has dark hair and is wearing what looks like a designer suit._

" _Are you okay?" he asks, frowning slightly. Chloe realizes she was crying when they crashed into one another. She's just moved to New York and feels extremely lonely, starting to think that it might have been a mistake to move to such a big city where she doesn't know anybody.  
_

" _Oh," she wipes the rest of her tears away. "Yeah. I just moved here and things are a bit more difficult than expected."_

He gives her a soft smile, " _This might sound forward, but… I have a bit of free time if you need to talk. Over coffee maybe?"_

Chloe had accepted and he had then asked her out on a date, which led to a second date. They had been going out for six months when he asked her to marry him. Part of her felt ashamed for saying yes after such a short time in New York, but he was the only person she knew there, and it felt safe.

 _Safe._ Chloe blinks a few times, because that's the opposite of how she feels right now.

As the night wears off, Chloe feels a little unsteady on her legs. The gin has gone to her head and she stumbles a little bit as she and Greg leave, cuasing him to have to hold her up on their way to the exit.

"Are you going to apologize?" He asks as soon as they are inside their apartment. He drops his car keys on the table and loosens his tie.

Chloe steps out of her pumps and looks at him oddly, "For what?"

"Well, you made a fool of yourself at the end of the party," he says, planting his hands on his hips. "You're drunk."

"One point for Captain Obvious." Chloe slurs, a giggle escaping her lips.

"This isn't funny," Greg strides to her. "I need you to be on your best behavior until the elections."

Chloe sets her jaw. "And then I'll need to be on my best behavior once you're Attorney General, too. Excuse me for drinking, but these parties are super boring."

"I don't like your attitude."

Chloe rolls her eyes, "Sue me."

He takes a few steps and seizes her arm roughly, "Stop this right now. You're acting like a fuckin' child."

Chloe sets her jaw, staring right back at him, "Let me go."

She fights against him, but he is evidently stronger, pinning her to the wall behind her. When she doesn't stop flailing her arms, she feels a harsh sting on her cheek and she stumbles against the surface behind her.

"You know I don't like to be violent with you," Greg whispers into her ear, gripping her hair. "But sometimes I have to."

"Being violent is a fucking choice!" Chloe speaks up for what feels the first time in such a long time. Words are tumbling out of her mouth before she can stop them, feeding the burning in her chest, "You choose to be violent. You choose to do this to me. I'm not the one responsible for this."

His hand seizes her throat, putting enough ressure to cut off her oxygen. Chloe struggles against him, hands on his forearms to try and get his grasp off her neck. She doesn't know how long it lasts, probably several seconds, but it feels like hours. As strength begins to leave her body and her vision starts to swim, he lets go. She collaspes on the floor, her legs giving out as she tries to take as much air as she can back into her lungs. A kick to her stomach knocks the air out of her and she cries out, curling on the ball on the carpet, shrinking away from him.

She registers him kneeling in front of her, and she flinches when his hand brushes her hair back, "Don't ever speak to me like that again. And don't you dare ruin my career because of your attitude."

He stands and doesn't say anything else before he turns toward their bedroom. Chloe shakes on the floor as shock wears off her in waves. He has never kicked her before, or tried to strangle her, and she has never felt so frightened.

* * *

The morning after, when she gets up, Greg has made breakfast and is eating it while reading the newspaper. Chloe walks cautiously into the kitchen, slightly shocked when she was greets with a warm smile and a kiss to her forehead.

"Good morning. I made French toast," he announces, motioning toward the plate sitting next to the stove. "There's also fresh coffee in the pot."

Chloe mumbles a thank you and after filling her plate, moves to sit across from him at the table. He pushes the newspaper aside and smiles at her, covering her hand.

"I booked your trip to LA. I also moved some money around to your personal account so you could indulge in some shopping while over there."

"You did?" Greg's the one controlling their joined account. Her part-time job doesn't provide a big paycheck, and she can't remember the last time she went shopping. Greg covers her with presents most of the time, so she hasn't felt the need to buy more clothes either.

Chloe smiles tightly and resumes to eating her breakfast. Remembering her pill, she stands up, fetches a glass of water and opens the drawer where she keeps it. Not seeing her started packet that usually sits on top of other things in the drawer, she fumbles through it without luck before closing it.

"Have you seen my pill?" she asks her husband, who doesn't look up from the article he's reading.

"I threw it out." He replies, with such nonchalance that he could give her her the scores from the last Yankees game, it wouldn't make any difference.

Chloe sees red. "Excuse me?"

Greg takes a sip from his coffee, ever so calmly. "Well, we both want kids and I thought it was time we got started."

"You're fucking kidding, right?"

His eyes find her over the top of the newspaper, "Watch your tone, Chloe."

"No, I will not watch my tone!" Chloe's voice grows louder, even surprising herself. "You can't decide things like that on my behalf. This is my body we're talking about, here."

"I don't get why you're so upset," Greg says with a smile, leaning back into his chair. "You've always told me you wanted to be a mom."

"That is so _not_ the point!" Chloe's hands are trembling from fury. "I do want kids, but not right now."

"You're twenty-nine years old. If not now, when?"

"I can't even speak to you right now," as she moves to make her way out of the kitchen, he seizes her waist and pulles her back against the table.

"Don't walk away from me," he sneers at her, pressing himself against her. "I've just agreed on and paid for your trip to LA and this is how you thank me? By yelling at me?"

"You went behind my back and made a decision that affects us both, not just yourself, without consulting me first."

"If I were you I would shut up right now before I call and cancel the tickets to LA. Would you want that?"

Chloe's whole body shakes from adrenaline and fear. "No."

"Then sit back down and eat your breakfast. I'm just doing you a favor, really. I know how much you want to be a mom, but I can feel that you're scared to take the next step forward."

"I'm sorry," she whispers under her breath.

"What was that?"

Chloe bites back her angry words, thinking about Beca and her trip to LA. Swallowing her pride, she looks into Greg's eyes, "I'm sorry."

"Good girl," he kisses her lightly and lets her go.

The week prior to going to LA goes by at the speed of a snail. Chloe smiles as Friday comes around, meaning it's finally break. She rushes home and packs her suitcase. Sleep doesn't come easily that night, her mind reeling over seeing Beca again. Greg is on a campaign trip upstate and she's glad he isn't here to stop her from going to LA should he feel the need to.

Still, she only allows herself to breathe properly once the plane has taken off. She feels giddiness sweep over her body as the plane lands, and can barely contain her excitement as she goes through the gate.

She spots Beca waiting for her at baggage claim, and wraps her arms tightly around the brunette, who yelps in surprise, before laughing and wrapping her arms around Chloe as well.

"You made it!" Beca cheers as she pulls away.

Chloe nods, trying not to think about the sacrifices involved in making it to LA. She pushes those thought to the back of her head and smiles tightly. "Yeah. I'm so happy to be here."


	6. Are You Happy?

"How was your flight?" Beca asks as she takes Chloe's suitcase from her, stirring them toward the exit.

"Good," Chloe replies, her previous excitement turning to uneasy nerves. She hopes her stay in LA won't be too awkward; after all she and Beca saw each other a grand total of three times in five years, all of them taking place two weeks ago.

The airport is packed; making it difficult to reach the exit without slamming into someone rushing to get to their gate on time. Chloe is starting to feel anxious, and as if sensing her distress, Beca looks over her shoulder and slows down, slipping her hand into Chloe's. Her cold palm connects with Chloe's clammy one, tugging the blonde's heartrate back to a normal rhythm.

They make it out of the airport ten minutes later and Chloe takes in a huge gush of air, relieved to be out of the maze.

"You okay?" Beca asks warily, her hand still in Chloe's. Realizing that, Chloe pulls her hand away and uses it to push her hair back.

"Yeah, thanks."

"The car's over here."

Beca raises her key and the Audi S5 coupe a couple of cars down came to life with a chirp. Beca opens the trunk -well the trunk opens itself- and places Chloe's suitcase in it, before settling into the driver's seat.

Chloe marvels at the beauty of the car, before getting in as well, "Nice car," she breathes out, sinking into the leather seat.

"The perks of being a producer," Beca smirks, before pulling into traffic.

"Are you going to be working the next few days?"

Beca looks at her briefly. "I just have one interview, and some other stuff I can do from home. Otherwise, my schedule is pretty light, Jesse managed to move a couple thing so I could spend more time at home. I did promise you a guided tour," Beca says with a wink. "Which reminds me, there's a present for you in the back seat."

Chloe raises an eyebrow, waiting a few seconds not too seem too eager, before she turns around and grabs the package. It's small and wrapped messily.

"So I'm not the best at wrapping stuff," the DJ says with a wince. She laughs when Chloe shakes the package before tearing it open. She unfolds the piece of clothing and lies it out onto her lap. It's an I heart LA white T shirt, and Chloe bites down on her bottom lip. Sure, it's a simple gift and probably cost Beca 0.0001% of her paycheck but the attention warms her heart.

"I love it," Chloe says, beaming. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Beca reaches over to turn the radio, a song from Pitbull blasting through the speakers. Chloe leans her head back against the head rest and hums softly to the beat.

"Aubrey and Jesse invited us to dinner tonight. Is that okay?"

Chloe stops her humming, looking down at her hands. "Um, depends, is Aubrey mad?"

"No, not really. She wants to see you. She might give you crap for like one minute. But you know how she is, a big puppy underneath the pit-bull act."

Chloe rolls her eyes at the nickname matching the singer of the current song. From Beca's smug smile, she can tell it was intentional. "Yeah."

"And she actually softened since she started going out with Jesse."

They spend the rest of the ride in comfortable silence, until Beca drives up her driveway and Chloe's jaw literally drops.

"This is your house?"

Beca nods. "Yeah, I bought it a few months ago."

"Holy shit."

Beca's house looks very modern from the outside; it's cube-shaped, with huge bay windows, and what looks to be a wrap-around balcony. The house exterior is a combination of wood and stacked stone, which makes it blend into the landscape rather than stand out like some of the houses she spotted during the ride.

Ever the polite one, Beca also carries her suitcase up the large stone steps that lead to the front door. The brunette opens it and pushes it open, motioning for Chloe to walk in first. There's a large entryway with a couple of hooks, a big brown wooden chest and a shoe closet. A tall plant is tucked in the corner. To the left of the entry way are a set of stairs that presumably lead to the first floor.

Chloe takes a few tentative steps forward into the main room; to her right is the living room, and she can't suppress a gasp. The room is spacious, with a large storage unit, in a color that matches the wooden floors tucked against the opposite wall on which sits a flat screen and a fancy hi-fi system. A large, colored rug covers the floor under the coffee table and the L-shaped grey couch.

An upright piano stands against the wall shared with the entry way, and Chloe's fingers tingle upon getting the chance to play it later on. As she continues, she can feel Beca behind her but doesn't say anything. The living room connects with the dining room, with a large wooden table dominating at the centre. The floor to ceiling windows give a pleasant view of the ocean in the distance, and Chloe thinks that the view from upstairs must be breathtaking. The kitchen stands to the left, big and spacious, with an island and four stools. It's separated by a short wall which stops a about Chloe's midsection and topped off by an industrial looking glass.

The decoration is tasteful and not overwhelming, and it has Beca's style written all over it.

"Beca, this is amazing."

"Thanks," Beca says, "Come on, I'll show you to your room."

She leads Chloe up the stairs, shows her where her own room is before continuing down the hall and opening the door. The room is tidy and has a king-sized bed, with large bay windows that look out on the garden below and its pool. It has an en-suite bathroom with an Italian shower.

"I'll leave you to get settled while I fix us something to eat, yeah?"

Chloe nods and watches Beca depart, before she rolls her suitcase further into the room. She sits on the bed for a while, trying to calm her nerves. She doesn't even know why she feels so nervous; Beca's presence seems to have lit a fire within her body.

After freshening up, Chloe joins Beca in the kitchen, laughing lightly when she finds the brunette jamming it to a Chet Faker song. Listening to Beca sing never gets old.

"Oh," Beca startles, placing a hand on her chest, "You scared me."

"Sorry."

"Since it's quite warm outside, I thought we could eat out there?"

"Sounds good."

"I'm making a tomato feta and avocado salad. Is that ok?"

Chloe nods again, "Can I help?"

"You can set the table, if you like. The plates are over there, cutlery next to the stove and glasses up there in the cupboard."

The two woman settle down on the table just next to the pool and begin eating.

"So I thought after lunch we could go to Hollywood Blvd. and hang around there? There's plenty of stuff to do and of course the Walk of Fame."

Chloe bobs her head up and down excitedly, "Sounds great."

"I'm so glad you're here," Beca says after a while. "I honestly thought you wouldn't come."

"I'm taking this second chance seriously, Bec. I hope you know that."

Beca's smile reaches her eyes, "I do. Fresh start, right?"

"Yes."

Chloe clears their plates once they are finished, and after having done the dishes -Beca volunteered to dry them, since Chloe insisted washing them was the least she could do- she changes into something more appropriate than shorts and a tank top, knowing they would go straight to Aubrey and Jesse's place after sightseeing.

She registers a knock on the door downstairs and Beca speaking to someone. When she gets down the stairs, she's shocked to find Stacie Conrad standing in the living room. Well, she shouldn't be too shocked since she lives next door, but still, it's been five years.

"Oh my God!" Chloe squeals and hops the few remaining steps. She hesitates then, wondering how Stacie reacts to the five-year-hiatus Chloe gave the Bellas.

But then Stacie's opening her arms and smiling widely, "I don't get a hug?"

Chloe lets out a watery laugh and wraps her arms around the taller woman. When they pull away, Chloe catches sight of Beca strolling back to them while talking animatedly to the toddler in her arms.

A _toddler_. In _Beca_ 's arms.

She must have a incredulous look on her face because Beca laughs and says, "Don't freak out Beale, it's not mine."

"It's mine," Stacie adds, reaching over to take her daughter into her arms when her tiny arms flail towards her. "Bella, say hello to your aunt Chloe?"

Good God, Stacie hasn't seen Chloe in five years, and she's already calling her her daughter's aunt. Tears prick at her eyes, wondering how she's so lucky to have such friends.

"Her name's Bella?" Thankfully, her voice doesn't display her emotions, so the two other women don't take note of her lameness.

"Yeah. Named after inspiring women." Stacie says, and Chloe is just about to burst into tears, when Beca says they have to leave if they want to do all the stuff they have planned for the afternoon. Stacie tells them she and Bella are going to enjoy the beach today and then join them for dinner at Aubrey and Jesse's.

"Is Stacie with someone?" Chloe asks after they get into the car. Beca pulls it into drive and slips her sunglasses over her eyes.

"No. She had this friends with benefits thing going on for a while and ended up pregnant. She and Jake didn't get together because of it, but they are really good friends so they alternate on who Bella lives with. They seem to have a good balance, and Stacie and Bella are happy so…"

"Yeah, I'm happy for her," Chloe sighs, looking out the window. They spend the afternoon playing tourists, literally. Chloe put on her I heart LA t shirt and sunglasses that cover about half her face. They take goofy pictures on the Walk of Fame, and Chloe nudges Beca, telling her she'll be on there one day, too. Beca rolls her eyes and shoves her lightly, murmuring something about her being ridiculous.

If Chloe's nerves disappeared as the afternoon progressed, they are back on full mode when she and Beca walk up Aubrey and Jesse's driveway.

"Hey," Beca says, reaching for Chloe's arm, and the blonde comes to a stop. Beca's hand remains on her forearm, her thumb brushing soft skin as she locks eyes with Chloe. "I can see the wheels turning from over here. Stop stressing out. Aubrey won't give you the cold shoulder, I promise. And if she does, I'll knock some sense into her, alright?"

Chloe exhales, nodding her head. She's surprised when Beca takes her hand to lead her the rest of the way. She doesn't remember Beca being so touchy-feely. In fact, she was quite the opposite back at Barden, and Chloe would practically force her -at least the first few months- to be affectionate.

Beca knocks on the door in a specific pattern and then opens it right away, striding in as if it were her house.

"We're here, so you better not be having sex!" She calls out, making Chloe laugh and relax a bit more.

"Beca!" Aubrey chastises as she walks out of a room to the left, presumably the kitchen, since they are in the dining room and to the right is the living room. "Little ears around."

Chloe figures she's talking about Bella, but she is nowhere in sight, so she briefly wonders if Aubrey and Jesse have a kid of their own, but figures Beca would have told her if it were the case. Beca lets go of her hand to hug Aubrey, and the sight is slightly unsettling to Chloe. Even though the two have buried the hatchet a long time ago, witnessing Beca and Aubrey act civil to one another is still weird.

"Hi Chloe," Aubrey says next, moving in front of the blonde. Without another word, she closes the gap between them and _hugs_ her. Chloe's eyes widen and Beca gives her a thumbs up over Aubrey's shoulder. "I've missed you."

Chloe's eyes are about to re-open the floodgates, "I've missed you, too."

"Ok, no." Beca says, waving her finger at the both of them, and Chloe notices Aubrey's eyes have gotten misty, too. "No crying. Tonight's supposed to be fun."

"Right," Aubrey says, taking a deep breath. "Come on, the others are outside on the terrace. I'll be out in a second."

Chloe follows Beca through the open bay window, and steps out onto the terrace. While Aubrey and Jesse's house is a bit more modest than Beca's, it's still in a very nice neighborhood with a great view. She knows Aubrey's a lawyer, Beca's told her. And she figures the DJ pays Jesse quite well.

"Hey Chloe," Jesse says after he hugs Beca, and he turns to her, raising his hand toward her to apparently give a shoulder a squeeze or a side hug, she isn't quite sure. Her reflexes kick in and she recoils, slightly flinching. Before his hand can make contact with her, she moves her body out of the way. The motion doesn't seem to go unnoticed by either he or Beca, because they both furrow their brows.

"Chloe?" Beca says with what seems to be a mix of uncertainty and concern in her voice. Chloe's mind goes blank; she doesn't know what to say to explain herself or how to act. Luckily, and she kicks herself for even thinking it, a harsh cry is heard from a couple feet away, where Bella stumbled and fell. Stacie, who was sitting at the table until now, walks to her daughter, Beca and Jesse mimicking her to make sure she's alright.

Meanwhile, Chloe's rooted to her spot, her feet stuck to the ground. She's wringing her hands and her eyes can't focus on anything around her. Her ears are buzzing and her throat is shrinking. She knows she's on the verge of a panic attack, her chest growing heavy with the weight of her emotions, her breathing turning uneven with each passing second.

She feels Beca's presence beside her before she hears her. "Chlo? Are you okay?"

Beca's voice pulls her out of her episode. She remembers she's in LA, not In New York, and Jesse isn't Greg. She swallows and smiles at Beca, though she knows it's a shy one. "Yeah, I'm fine."

She sits across from Beca at the table and Aubrey is back before Chloe is even settled. Stacie excused herself a few minutes ago and is now back with a happy-looking Bela, whose face is clean of any tears.

Aubrey serves Chloe a glass of white wine, saying something about hoping her tastes haven't changed, and Chloe reassures her that no, she still loves white wine. She sets a beer in front of Beca and Chloe is amazed at the fact that the two seem so comfortable with each other, obviously seeing each other enough to know what the other one drinks without having to ask.

The glass of wine is welcomed by Chloe, who feels her nerves loosen with each sip. At some point she ends up with Bella on her lap, and she cherishes it, leaning back against her chair when she feels the toddler's weight get heavier as she starts to doze off. Twenty minutes later, Bella is dead to the world, her head tucked underneath Chloe's chin as the blonde rubs circles on her back. She catches Beca's gaze and smiles.

When they get back inside to eat dinner, the temperature having dropped too low to stay out, Stacie takes Bella back to put her to bed.

Dinner is nothing like Chloe expected. It doesn't feel awkward, Aubrey talks to her and asks her many questions about her life and her job.

"And what about your husband, what does he do?" Stacie asks, picking up her glass of wine.

"He's the New York County DA."

"Wow, how did you land that?" Stacie questions with a raised eyebrow, before waving her hand, "Nevermind, you're a hot piece of ass, he's the lucky one."

Beca looks like she's about to say something, but stops, and stuffs some food into her mouth instead.

"We -um, I literally ran into him in the street and I was crying because I had just arrived in NYC and felt lonely. So he offered to get a coffee and, yeah."

"Oh," Aubrey says, a hand over her chest. "Like a true romantic comedy."

Chloe smiles and looks down, her finger outlining the bottom of her glass. "Yeah, just like that." She's determined in stirring the conversation away from her life, and looks at Stacie, "I don't remember asking about what you do."

"I'm a therapist," Chloe's eyebrows nearly fly to her hair. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

"Sorry, I just… that's great." Chloe says, urgently taking a sip of wine.

Dinner wraps up about an hour later, and Chloe finds herself hugged by both Aubrey and Stacie, who make her promise to call or text or whatever. Jesse waves his hand awkwardly, and Chloe can't blame him for not trying to reach out for her after her previous reaction.

Beca is hugging Bella tightly, whispering something in her ear that makes the toddler giggle, and Chloe smiles fondly, before Beca stands and grabs her keys.

"Ready?"

Chloe nods, and they are out the door.

"You're so great with her," Chloe gushes once they are driving back to Beca's house.

"Bella? Well she's very sweet. Stacie is doing such a good job raising her." Beca takes her eyes off the road for a second to look at Chloe, "And what about you? That little girl literally fell asleep in your lap, she's never done that with a stranger before."

"I just love kids. I guess they sense that."

When they get home, Beca says something about making them an infusion, and Chloe tentatively sits at the piano, her digits ghosting over the board. She hasn't played in a few years, but her fingers know her favorite piece by heart, no matter how long it's been since they danced over the black and white keys. She plays it with ease, and feels a rush of air invade her lungs, as if she's been underwater for so long and she's only now breaking to the surface.

Her eyes close and her shoulders relax as she lets the music flow in her veins, and it's like she's becoming one with the instrument. She's on a high until the last note, and when she opens her eyes, Beca is sitting beside her, gazing at her with what looks like awe.

Her hand finds Chloe's forearm, much like earlier in front of Aubrey and Jesse's house, her thumb brushing the inside of her wrist.

"Are you happy, Chloe?" Beca's voice is small, as if the question scares her. Or maybe it's the answer she's afraid of.

 _No._ It's on the tip of Chloe's tongue. It would be so easy to utter the one-syllable word. It would carry off the weight crushing Chloe's shoulders brick by brick. Beca's soft eyes are burning Chloe's soul, searching for the truth and Chloe is so close to giving in.

But telling the truth would be selfish. It wouldn't be fair to Beca, who has worked so hard for the life she has now. She can't be a burden, Beca deserves so much more. She's been carrying her demons alone for so long now, she can handle it on her own.

"Yeah."

* * *

 **I'll be hiding behind my computer screen now. Before you scream, the next chapter will pick up right where this one left off, and some stuff will be explained. And to answer a particulaly worried reader: no, Chloe won't get pregnant, I'm definitely not going for that plot. It did cross my mind a while ago but thought it would be too much for poor Chloe. Just to remind y'all, this story has a happy ending for Bechloe ;)  
**

 **PS: The piece played by Chloe on the piano is called Mother's Journey ( /watch?v=qN-UTTII8L0), from the film Good bye, Lenin!. The soundtrack is by Yann Tiersen, a composer from close to my hometown, and his pieces are breathtaking, go check them out (personal favorite is 'La Noyée' from the film 'Amelie')**


	7. So Close Yet So Far

**AN: Thank you for the response on last chapter. Picks up where I left off.  
**

* * *

"Yeah."

Chloe's voice is soft; barely audible, and if Beca wasn't listening intently she would have missed the answer. Chloe's shyness prompts her to push it,

"Are you?" She hears Chloe's breathing hitch, "Because this isn't the Chloe I know. You're not who you used to be. And I just want to make sure that you're okay."

Chloe's gaze shifts from the keys up to Beca's face, her cerulean eyes locking with Beca's darker ones. "I'm okay. I've just changed, I guess. Tamed my enthusiasm a little, there's nothing wrong with that."

"No, that's not what I meant," Beca backtracks, sighing in frustration. "There's nothing wrong with you, Chloe." She's sure to make an emphasis of that statement by grabbing Chloe's hand, where it's been resting on her lap. "It's just… if something or _someone_ was bothering you, you would tell me, right?"

She feels and sees Chloe's whole body tense and knows she has triggered something within her. Chloe tears her gaze from hers and looks back down at her lap. Beca scoots closer, tucking one of her legs under her so she can seat sideways, facing Chloe. She resists the urge to pull her friend into her arms and just hold her, knowing if she did that, it would erase any chance of Chloe opening up.

"Chloe?" she asks, tilting her head low enough to try and meet her eyes. Chloe's blonde hair forms a curtain around her face, preventing Beca from doing so. "Talk to me, _please_."

Beca's surprised to hear her own voice waver; this conversation has her on edge, and is toying with her usual calm demeanor.

"You can't-" Chloe's voice seems to catch in her throat and she lifts her head, locking eyes with Beca. "You can't barge into my life again and judge me for how I act and expect me to just pour out every detail about myself. How can we go back to normal in just a couple days when we haven't seen each other in five years?"

"Well whose fault is that?" The words are out of Beca's mouth before she can stop them. She's fustrated that Chloe can't admit she's not okay, and her heart is spitting fire without her brain being able to stop it.

Chloe recoils, stung by her accusation. She wrenches her hand from Beca's hold and moves to her feet. "It's my fault. You've made that perfectly clear," she's wiping at her cheeks furiously and Beca only realizes now that she's also on the verge of crying. "But you also said this was a fresh start. And then you go ahead and say this and make me sound even guiltier than I already feel."

"Chloe," Beca pleads, rushing to get to her feet. "Stop."

The brunette tries to reach for Chloe, who pulls away. "How could I kid myself like this? Believing that this trip in LA would be magical! Clearly you're still mad at me and aren't about to let it go."

She marches up the stairs, Beca hot on her trail. "Chloe, would you stop and listen to me!"

Her tone is slightly harsher and louder than before, and it works in making Chloe halt. She keeps her back to Beca, lowering her head, and Beca can hear how loudly she's breathing.

"I'm trying to let it go," she whispers, taking a few cautious steps toward the blonde. "But I can't pretend like you didn't hurt me, because you did. But I can also see how you want to mend your mistakes and I appreciate that. And you're right, a few days together in LA aren't going to magically erase the last five years, but it's a start."

She's standing right behind Chloe now and the second Beca's body touches hers, a sob escapes Chloe's throat. Beca breathes out slowly, trying to reign her emotions back in. She wraps her arms around Chloe's waist from behind, resting her forehead between Chloe's shoulder blades.

"I'm sorry about what I said, it wasn't fair," Beca murmurs, "I'm sorry for asking too many questions and for snapping at you. But I can see you're not okay and it worries me." Chloe's shaking body is enough of a proof that she's breaking down, though her sobs are muffled. Beca shuffles closer, if that's even possible, as if to provide a safe cocoon for her friend. "You're so important to me Chlo, and that hasn't changed, even after the last five years. And it will never change."

Beca feels Chloe's hand settle on top of hers at her midsection, and in a broken whisper she says, "I don't deserve you."

Beca frowns and lifts her head, "What?"

Her arms let go of Chloe's waist and she moves her hands to Chloe's upper arms, coaxing her into facing her. Chloe's eyes are bloodshot, her noise is runny and her make-up is slightly smudged. But Beca doesn't care about that, because Chloe's last words have invaded her brain.

"Chloe," she prompts again.

Chloe's gaze finds the floor once more. "I don't deserve your kindness, or your time, Beca. I'm a nobody."

Jesus Christ. Beca's pretty sure the pain shooting in her chest if from her heart snapping into two. Her brain is on overdrive, trying to wrap her head around what could have happened to Chloe for her to say soemthing like that.

Beca's hands leave Chloe's arms, and she's titling Chloe's chin up. "Why would you think that?"

"Because it's true," Chloe states simply, "I failed vet school and became a music teacher because that's all I can do. And I couldn't find a full-time job so I can't even support myself."

A humorless laugh leaves Beca's lips. A form of anger has replaced her previous pain. Anger not directed toward Chloe, but to whomever brought her down low enough to make her believe she is a failure. She thinks she has a pretty good idea who this person is, but now is not the time to dwell into that. Her main priority is the person in front of her and convince her of the contrary.

"That's _all_ you can do? Chloe are you hearing yourself right now?" She cups the other woman's cheek and gently guides her into looking at her properly. "You're _so_ talented. You've won three ICCA championships in a row and the freaking Acapella Worlds."

Chloe shrugs, moving away from Beca, "Acapella isn't that important."

Beca never thought she would hear that from Chloe freaking Beale. _Ever._ But she's heard correctly, and her jaw hangs open in shock.

"Okay, _o_ kay. I didn't think I would ever hear you quote first year at Barden me."

It's meant to be a joke, but it falls hard on its ass.

"Chloe, acapella aside, you have an amazing voice and I'm not saying that just to make you feel better. I've been playing our version of Titanium for years and people keep asking for it all the time. _Your_ voice put me on the map. If that's not talent, I don't know what is."

This pulls a smile at Chloe's lips, and even though it's small and barely there, Beca will take it.

"You're just saying that." Chloe flushes and reaches up to wipe her cheeks. No more tears are toppling over her the rim of her eyes, and Beca allows herself to think she has this battle in the bag.

Beca tucks a strand of Chloe's hair behind her ear, "Why are you so stubborn, Beale?" Chloe blushes again, and Beca laughs, good naturally this time. "And I can't imagine you being something else than a music teacher. You love kids, and you love music so it was bound to happen either way."

"I love you," Chloe's voice is soft, and a true, albeit shy, smile stretches her mouth before she wraps her arms around Beca.

Beca exhales, another laugh escaping her, and she closes her eyes in relief. This is the first contact initiated by Chloe since they saw each other again, and it makes Beca's banged up heart soar in her chest. "I love you too, you goof."

Beca doesn't bring up the subject again, feeling they've had their fair share of emotion for now.

* * *

The next day, the two women spend the day lounging in Beca's estate, either in the house or by the pool. Stacie drops Bella off just after lunch, and Chloe is delighted to be able to spend some time with the toddler. They decide to hang out by the pool, Bella sporting a rubber ring around her waist and water wings as she plays in the water with Chloe.

Beca tried not to ogle Chloe's body when she stripped to her green one-piece bathing suit. Because _fuck_ , she's still toned and beautiful and Beca felt her mouth dry up, and was thankful that she chose to put on the pair of sunglasses that covers half her face, thus partly hiding her reddening cheeks.

She's been lounging in her chair, trying to focus on her novel. She's pretty sure she's read the same paragraph for the third time and she gives up, tossing the book aside. Her eyes settle on Chloe and her goddaughter playing, and for a moment she lets her thoughts drift off, imagining how Chloe could be her wife and Bella their child.

She wills her brain to shut up after realizing she's been sporting a grin for the last few seconds and probably looks like a creeper.

After the pool, they all watch a cartoon -yes, even Beca- and Bella falls asleep against Chloe's chest, much like she did last night. Beca is about to comment on how jealous she is, but when she looks up, she sees that Chloe has also drifted off. She covers them both with a blanket and switches off the TV, before grabbing her laptop and opening her mixing program.

At some point, Chloe's head ends up on her shoulder and Beca sighs in contentment, before catching herself. Chloe is married, and she will be gone by tomorrow morning, and who knows when they'll see each other again. As if sensing Beca's body tense, Chloe is pulled from her slumber, lifting her head from Beca's shoulder.

"Sorry."

Beca smiles softly, "It's okay."

So Chloe places her head back to where it was, sighing softly and absent-mindedly -Beca can tell, because she's humming some kind of song, and Chloe usually does that when her mind is somewhere else- watching Beca work. Stacie comes to pick up Bella by five, and the two women are left to enjoy a quiet dinner.

"Call me when you land, alright?" Beca says, pulling away from Chloe. The blonde nods and wipes at the corner of her eyes with her pointer finger.

"Thank you for this, Bec. I had an amazing time."

The familiar nickname on Chloe's tongue brings a flood of good memories. Beca looks at the ceiling, "Don't you start crying now, Beale. Cause if you cry, I'll cry and it will ruin my reputation forever."

"Please," Chloe scoffs. "Everybody knows you're a softie."

"Yeah, yeah."

Beca's surprised when Chloe pulls her into another hug, almost squeezing the breath out of her, as if she's hanging on for dear life.

"I don't know when I'll get to come back," she whispers when she breaks away.

Beca smiles. "Then I'll come to New York. I'll have some down time after the Grammy's to finish Emily's album and I've always wanted to see NYC in the spring time."

Chloe squeezes Beca's hand. "It's a deal. Good luck with the Grammy's tomorrow. I'll be watching."

She bends down to pick up her bag, and waves at Beca one last time before going through the security gate. Beca stays until she loses sight of her, fingers and toes curling in frustration for not being able or not having the courage to bring the subject back on the table.

* * *

She wins the Grammy for Best Artist. She's on cloud nine for a few seconds, until Jesse's eagerness prompts her to stand up. She's thankful she hasn't taken off her shoes until now, because she was so close to doing so just a few minute ago.

She walks on wobbly legs to the stage, passes freaking _Beyonce_ who congratulates her, and she's about to faint right there before even accepting her award.

She's glad she chose to wear a suit and not a dress, which probably saves her clumsy self from falling over on the steps leading to the stage. She accepts her awards from the hands of Bruno Mars -seriously, the fainting thing is getting real- and steps toward the microphone.

"Oh my God, standing here is something else," The crowd laughs, which is a good thing. Making speeches has never been Beca's thing, _shockingly_. "This has been such a crazy year, and it wouldn't have been possible without the support of my team, who make each day a little bit easier." She finds Jesse's face in the crowd and locks eyes with him, "I'd like to thank my manager and best friend Jesse Swanson for actually surviving the tyranny I put him through over the last year, dude, you rock."

Her brain manages to remember the name of everyone she's supposed to thank. She even thanks her dad, because not doing so would make her a jerk. And she figures he's probably watching.

Taking a deep breath, she looks directly into the camera as she speaks the next words.

"Last but not least, I'd like to thank Chloe, who kinda forced me into being friends with her in college, by literally bursting into my shower and convincing me to join this acapella group where I met amazing people who are very dear to me. Chloe, you believed in me for all those years and I'm lucky to have someone like you in my life." Her gaze leaves the camera and she looks back at the crowd, taking everything in one last time, because who knows when she'll be up here again. "Thank you."

* * *

Beca is glad to spend some quality time at home after the Grammy's. Everything has been so hectic with interviews, and dinners and all that kind of shit that Beca scarcely cares about. All she wants is to make music for a living. With success comes a bunch of mandatory things, and while she's glad to add the little gramophone to her shelf, she's also relieved to be able to step down for a bit.

"Hey Stace?" Beca asks, pulling the taller woman's attention to her. It's the morning after the Grammy's and Beca has just had lunch at her place. She's been anxious to make some time to talk to Stacie. The taller woman is doing the dishes, so Beca brings the last of the cutlery, puts it into the sink and leans back against the counter.

"Mmm?"

"How can you tell if someone is in an abusive relationship?"

Stacie's movements stop, and she looks at Beca with a frown. "Where's this coming from?"

Beca sighs, wringing her hands as she stares at the floor. "Can you just answer, please? I'll explain after."

Stacie abandons the dishes and grabs a dishtowel, drying her hands with it before tossing it back next to the sink. She turns to Beca, "Um, well, it can appear in different forms depending on the person. But what I've seen most of is a lack of confidence, change in behavior or body language, and the person is usually detached from any social contact."

Check, check and check.

Beca visibly blanches and her legs feel wobbly.

"Beca?" Stacie seems to notice the change and is now guiding Beca to the kitchen table, concern written all over her features. "Talk to me."

"I might sound like a jerk asking this but," Beca takes a deep breath. "Why does the victim stay?"

Stacie reaches over and squeezes her hand, probably to show her it's okay to ask that kind of question. "Lots of people ask themselves that. It sounds easy, right? Why would you stay with someone who hurts you? Most of the time, it takes a long time for the victim to realize they're abused. And when they do, it's often too late, and they are trapped."

"Trapped?"

Stacie nods, "Emotionally or financially. The abuser often tricks their victim into thinking what's happening to them is their fault. Sometimes it's threats; the abuser can threaten to kill their victim or their loved ones if they try to leave. Sometimes the abuser plays two cards; they can be extremely violent and all the sudden extremely charming, coaxing their victim into thinking that it's not too bad, or that it's not always all the time, and it might lead the victim to not trust their own judgment anymore." She pauses, and Beca's struggling to keep up with all the information being thrown at her.

"Other times, they manage to wipe out their victim's social background. Family, friends… the person suddenly drops off the face of the earth without so much of an explanation. If and when they realize they are being abused, it's often too late, because they have no one except their abuser to rely on. They are usually not independent financially, which makes it even harder for them to leave."

The words vomit is not strong enough to describe the taste in Beca's mouth right now. Tears well up in her eyes and blinks rapidly, but it only makes the tears slip down her cheeks. She can't imagine Chloe being stuck in a situation like this, it makes her heart and her head hurt.

"Beca," Stacie reaches across the table and takes Beca's hand once again. "We're talking about Chloe, aren't we?"

Beca's head snaps up, and she forgets to breathe for a beat or two. "What?"

Stacie sighs and looks down at the surface of the table, "I had this vibe when I saw her at Aubrey and Jesse's. I found her behavior...odd. Not at all the Chloe we used to know. But I didn't make much of it, because I only spent time with her that one night and that's not enough observation to jump to conclusions. She disappeared from any social media a while ago, right?" Beca nods. "And if I'm not mistaken, she changed her number. Did you see her husband while in New York?"

"Just once, for a few minutes." Beca's voice is hoarse. "And I had this ugly sensation in my gut. And Chloe… she's just a different person. She's next to you but so far away at the same time." She reaches up to wipe her tears away. "When she was here, she missed two phone calls from her husband and flipped out, I thought she was going to have a panic attack. Not to mention her reaction to Jesse."

Stacie pauses, "What reaction to Jesse?"

"I thought you saw. He reached out to hug her or something, and she flinched away from him. Then she completely shut off for a few seconds."

Stacie nods grimly, "There are strong chances you're right, then. He might be controlling her every move. I'm surprised he even let her come to LA. That could have been her getaway. Yet…"

"What?"

"Like I explained, some abusers play two cards. He might have accepted that she come to LA because something awful happened right before and he wanted to make amends for it. That might mean he's very confident about the control he has over her. Letting their victim go across the country is not typical of abusers."

Beca's mind is drowning under possible scenarios, and it makes her choke on a sob. "B-but I haven't seen any mark or anything else."

"Then maybe it's psychological abuse. Maybe he's playing with her mind and isn't actually physically violent."

"I saw a mark on her wrist once, that's it."

Stacie nods, pursing her lips. "There can be a great amount of time between aggressions. Sometimes weeks, or even months. Did you broach the subject with her or has she told you anything?"

"The night after dinner at Aubrey's, I asked her if she was happy. She told me yes, that she was, but I said that I could tell she wasn't okay and that she could tell me if something or someone was bothering her. She became defensive and avoided the subject."

"Okay." Stacie waited a few seconds before speaking again. "The fact that the subject upset her might mean that she knows deep down that what he's doing isn't okay. If I'm right about this, she might just need a push toward the right direction to leave him."

"What do I do?"

"First, you show her you're there for her. Bringing up the subject can be dangerous, she might shut down and quit all communication with you. This isn't an easy situation, and I know you want to help so badly, but we need her to come to terms with it first. Maybe knowing that you're there for her, that we are all there for her, will convince her that she can have somewhere safe to go if she does decide to leave him. When she wants to get help, you'll be the first person she turns to."

"I think my speech yesterday showed her how special she is to me."

"About that," Stacie's voice turns grim, "While it was very thoughtful of you to include her in her speech, and so _romantic_ ," Beca glares at her friend. "Now that I'm looking at a possible domestic abuse case, those are often triggered by jealousy. It may be that her husband is so controling of her life simply because he's jealous. So publicly declaring how Chloe is important to you might do her more harm than good, if he catches word of it."

Panic crawls into Beca's limbs as Stacie's words settle. Her vision starts to swim, and her heartbeat seems out of control. Her face feels like it's over heating and her shirt is starting to stick to her back with cold sweat. She's right. Beca fucked up, she can feel it. She can't believe how dumb it was to mention Chloe.

"Beca," Stacie says, "Beca, honey, look at me."

She snaps her eyes to Stacie and the woman's calm and understanding features bring her some sort of comfort.

"This isn't on you. You couldn't have known. And I might be wrong, this isn't exact science. And Chloe's smart, she wouldn't take any chances in making him upset."

Beca rubs her forehead while trying to sort through the many things she's feeling right now. "What do I do?"

"Let's try and call her, okay?"

Beca nods and wipes her sweaty hands on her jean-clad thighs before picking up her phone from the table. She pulls up Chloe' contact and presses call, before putting the device on speaker. It rings several times and goes to voicemail. Beca looks at Stacie, who can only muster a shrug. Beca ends the call and slams her phone down on the surface of the table.

"Damn it." She groans, dropping her head into her hands. "Shouldn't we call the police?"

Stacie places a hand over her friend's shoulder. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves and wait till we get ahold of Chloe. When we do, I can try and talk to her and we'll go from there. If we call the police and he's there, and if Chloe denies being hurt, it could get very dangerous for her. Let's not forget he's the DA, and that makes the situation even more complicated. We still don't know where she stands. Promise me you won't do anything drastic, okay?"

Beca inhales through her nose deeply, her shoulders slagging as she breathes out an "okay".

* * *

 **Bear with me folks, things are about to get better soon, now that Beca knows what's going on. Please note that I am not a therapist, or familiar with any situation similar to Chloe's. I did a lot of research while writing this chapter, and I hope I am not too out of line. If I somehow am, I apologize.  
**

 **Reviews are always appreciated and definitely make me write a tad faster ;)**


	8. Not Alone

**Boy, this was a monster to write. I can't begin to tell you how many times I rewrote certain scenes, and this is the closest to what I wanted it to be. Hopefully I won't disappoint you too much.**

* * *

Beca's category is up next. Chloe takes a deep breath and grabs one of the cushion next to her on the couch, clutching it to her chest as they announce the nominees. She laughs lightly when Beca smiles awkwardly at the camera, blushing from the unwanted attention.

"And the Grammy goes to..." Her heart leaps as the presenter opens the envelope and speaks into the mic. "Beca Mitchell!"

Chloe squeals a little bit from her couch in Manhattan, New York, and covers her mouth in amazement as she watches Beca hug Jesse and walk up to the stage. The short brunette accepts the Grammy and stands before the crowd.

Chloe's first thought is that Beca absolutely absolutely beautiful. Forgoing the dress, she chose to wear a grey blazer over a tight lacy black top, and it suits her. Chloe's ears are ringing from the excitement that she barely registers what the brunette is saying. The audience laughs at something she says, and Chloe figures she must have made a joke.

She thanks Jesse, and the camera focuses on him, but he remains humble, smiling and nodding, obviously appreciative of Beca's words. She can imagine how proud Aubrey must be of him. Then Beca thanks her label, her dad and a bunch of other people from the industry that Chloe doesn't know.

What she says next though, has Chloe suck in a breath and tears fill her orbs. The brunette is looking right into the camera, her eyes boring into Chloe's soul. When Beca finishes her speech, a sob escapes the blonde's throat and she buries her face in her hands, hot tears slipping down her cheeks. She suddenly hates herself for every time she's ignored Beca's calls or texts, or any other attempt made to get into contact with her.

An ugly feeling settles in her stomach as she recounts the last four years in her head. She lists off all the things she's lost. The Bellas, her family, her confidence.

Realization comes crashing down on her like a ton of bricks. She doesn't have any family in New York, only Greg's. She doesn't have any real friends here, only Greg's coworkers' wives. Her whole life revolves around her husband, his job and his circle of friends.

She breaks down right there, lying on her couch in she and Greg's big empty apartment in NYC, far away from the people who matter the most. The last four years come crashing down onto her shoulders and they shake with the weight of her sobs. She cries until her eyes hurt, and eventually it turns into hiccups and shudders. The glare of the screen pulls her attention back to the TV and she remembers she has yet to congratulate Beca.

She grabs her phone from the coffee table and sends a quick text to the brunette, knowing that she will probably not see it right away.

 _Congratulations, I'm so proud of you. Enjoy your night, you deserve it. xx_

When Chloe wakes up the next morning, her husband is already up. She stretches and sighs; before getting up and going toward the kitchen. Greg is at the kitchen table, working on his computer while sipping coffee.

"Morning," she greets, running her hand along his shoulders before moving to the counter to pour herself a cup of coffee. She takes a sip and hums in enjoyment.

"Say, you never used the card that Beca Mitchell gave you, right?"

Her husband's cold voice makes her choke on the liquid, and it almost scalds her throat.

She's glad she has her back to him, because she knows her surprise is showing. Inhaling deeply through her nose, she turns around. "No, I told you I wouldn't use it."

"Right." Greg sits back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest. "I thought you had lost touch with her."

Chloe's pulse begins to race; she can feel his jealousy all the way across the room. She grinds her teeth and tightens her grip on her cup of coffee. "I have. Why?"

"Really?" he pushes his computer toward her, "Then I guess they just photoshopped you with her in these photos, huh?"

Chloe's breath hitches, her heart now hammering in her chest. An icy chill runs the length of her back and she shudders. She slowly walks to the table, sits on a chair and sets her mug next to her, before reaching for the computer with trembling hands. A _People_ window is opened, featuring several photos of she and Beca on one of their lunches when the brunette was in New York, and another one shot at the airport in LA.

Her eyes skim over the article, her face crumpling as she gets to the bottom of it.

 _IS GRAMMY WINNER BECA MITCHELL PINING OVER A MARRIED WOMAN?_

 _It's no secret that DJ Beca Mitchell likes women. The artist even has the reputation of being a bit of a womanizer. Yesterday, however, when accepting her award, Mitchell thanked Chloe Beale, who was part of the DJ's acapella group back in college, for believing in her all those years, and said she was lucky to have her in her life. The two women were spotted together in NYC a couple weeks ago, going for lunch or coffee several times over the week, and then again at LAX airport just before the Grammy's. A source says that Mitchell and Beale were 'inseparable in college' and that they had a 'strong bond'. It's safe to assume that the two women might be more than friends. Beale is married to New York County DA Gregory Logan._

"Greg..."

The laptop is shut with a loud clap, causing her to jump in her chair, and Greg is suddenly hovering over her, one arm bracing his weight on the table while the other is draped behind Chloe's back. She shrinks under his furious gaze, "When we met, you told me you had experienced a bit in college. Was it with her?"

 _Chloe is supposed to go back to Florida tomorrow. The adventure with the Bellas is coming to an end, but on the good note: they've just won the Worlds. They threw one last party with all the girls plus the Trebles. Chloe has been trying to keep her emotions in check for the past few hours, but it's getting harder as the party dies out.  
_

 _Chloe's sitting by the pool, feet tracing patterns on the water surface as she nurses a drink. She feels Beca's presence before she hears her, and the shorter girl plops down beside her on the edge._

 _"You okay, Beale?"_

 _Chloe nods absent-mindedly, orbs looking up toward the sky to try and keep the tears at bay. "Just a bit emotional. I can't believe this is the end."_

 _Beca sighs and grabs her hand, "End of college maybe but definitely not the end of the Bellas. I mean, it's not like we're gonna fall out of touch. I'll deny it if you tell anybody this, but you're pretty important to me and there's no way I'm letting you go."_

 _Chloe flashes her a megawatt smile, and knows there's no stopping the tears now; they topple over to slide down her cheeks._

 _"Oh, shit, don't cry," Beca exclaims hastily, wincing as she pulls Chloe in a side hug. "I'm not good with that!"_

 _Chloe lets out a watery half-chuckle, and reaches up to dry her cheeks. "Sorry."_

 _She feels Beca press a kiss to her hair and tries but fails to ignore the rush of electricity it sends all the way down to the tip of her toes. "Beca?"_

 _"Mmm?"_

 _"I'm gonna miss you," she whispers, because her voice seems to be stuck in her throat. "I'm gonna miss all of the Bellas but you're my best friend."  
_

 _"Okay, hush, my reputation wil forever be ruined if I start to cry, too."_

 _Chloe scoffs, "We all know you're a softie. There's no more pretending, Bec."_

 _Chloe starts to hum a song as she plays with Beca's fingers. At some point, Beca joins her. Harmonizing with Beca has always been a huge turn on to Chloe. Their voices fit together perfectly, and it pulls something in Chloe's stomach. When they hit the last note of the song, they are staring at each other, and Chloe catches Beca's eyes flicker to her lips._

 _"Beca," she whispers, leaning in slowly, stilling her movements far enough for Beca to pull away if she wants to.  
_

 _Beca doesn't say anything; instead, she closes the reminding distance between them and fuses her lips with Chloe's. It takes Chloe a beat to respond, and then it gets urgent and passionate; far from what Chloe imagined their first kiss to be like. Because yes, she has played out her first kiss with Beca several times now. It's a bit sloppy given their state of inebriation, but Chloe doesn't care; she wants more. She **needs** more.  
_

 _They break apart, long enough for Beca to say something about going up to Chloe's bedroom, and then they are off, Beca's hand clasped around Chloe as she drags the redhead inside, dodging the group of Bellas and Trebles playing Twister in the middle of the living room and sprinting up the stairs._

 _Chloe doesn't really register what's happening, until her back hits the now shut door and Beca's lips are kissing their way down her neck and chest._

" _I want you," she murmurs against Chloe's lips, pulling away briefly so they could catch their breaths._

" _Then take me," Beca actually growls upon hearing those three words, her eyes darkening with lust. Before long, Beca is walking her backwards to the bed and straddling her lap._

Chloe swallows. There's no point in lying now. "Yes, but it didn't mean anything."

His fist comes down on the table, and Chloe jolts, trying to pull away from him, but he's gripped her arm, rooting her in place. She casts her eyes down to the wooden surface, wringing her hands together. Greg exhales loudly through his nose, his breath warm against Chloe's cheek, before he takes a step back and starts to pace around the room.

"Do you realize how bad this is for my career?!" he spits out, turning back to face her. "I'm running for Attorney General, for God's sakes. I'm gonna be the laughing stock at work if this rumor gets around that you're cheating on me. Even worse, with a woman."

Chloe's eyes snap up at his comment. But she knows better than to say anything. She recoils when he approaches her and places both hands on her shoulders, squeezing her flesh. She feels so small and utterly alone as his tall figure casts a shadow over her shorter frame. She folds in on herself while her gaze remains fastened on the table.

"But that's not even the worst part," he bends down to murmur in her ear. "The worst part is that you lied to me about how you spent your time, you lied to me about who you were going to see in LA, and I recall telling you when we met that I hated dishonesty more than anything in the world."

Chloe whimpers as she feels another squeeze to her shoulders, this time a bit stronger.

"Now I'm only going to ask this once, and I want you to tell me the truth. If you lie, I'll find out sooner or later, and I'm not sure I'll be able to keep my cool, Chloe."

His hands travel down her arms, then back up, his fingertips grazing her skin, causing goosebumps to appear in their wake. He grabs a handful of her blonde hair and pulls her head back just a bit.

"Did you cheat on me with that bitch?" he asks, tone low and articulate.

Chloe shakes her head quickly, as best as she can given the fact that he is still holding onto her hair. "No, I swear. She's just a friend."

"Good. Did you kiss her?"

Again, she shakes her head.

"Are you going to see her again?"

Headshake.

"Marvelous." He lets go of her hair and seizes her arm, swiftly lifting her off the chair. "Get up."

Chloe yelps, "Let me go!"

"You don't get to tell me what to do!" He shouts at her, and Chloe's head swivels when the back of his hand connects with her cheebone. Chloe gasps, cowering away from her husband.

"Remember Chloe, I'm a powerful man in this city," he whispers into her ear. Chloe's head is swimming, her vision struggling to settle. "I will make your life a living hell if you so much as try to contact her or anyone else who knows her. I will track you down if you try to leave. You don't have any friends or family here. _No_ _one_ wants you. You're just a girl who stayed in college for seven years just to be in her precious acapella group. Then you failed vet school and settled for a worthless, part time high school teaching job that doesn't even pay rent. You should actually be thanking me for supporting you."

If Chloe has managed to remain strong-willed up until now, it all comes tumbling down upon her husband's verbal beatdown. A sob escapes her throat, and his only reaction is to smirk.

"Let me go," she says, hating the sound of her voice breaking. He cocks his head to the side. _"Please."_

"I will make you pay if this article costs me my career," he says, and pauses. She meets his eyes and there's an evil glint in them. "Come to think of it this Beca chick is better off without you. You would probably ruin her career, too."

Chloe wants to crumble and roll herself into a ball on the floor. She's suffocating, her breathing coming into ragged intakes of air.

He lets her go then, Chloe exhaling in relief when his hands leave her body. She waits with bated breath for the front door to click shut, before she slowly slides against the cupboard until she is sat on the tile floor. She brings her knees up to her chest and tucks them under her chin, rocking back and forth against the counter to calm herself down.

She calls in sick for the day and sulks around the apartment, the walls to her prison reappearing brick by brick until they get to a point where the escape is not reachable.

Beca calls later in the afternoon. Chloe is sitting on the couch, numbly staring at the TV while nursing a glass of gin.

The numbers on the screen glare at her. It keeps buzzing, taunting the tip of her fingers.

 _She's better off without you._

Her husband's voice rings in her ears and her urge to pick up flies away. Beca's successful, while she's a nobody. She doesn't fit in Beca's life.

Chloe reaches over and silences the phone, turning it upside down on the coffee table. She downs the rest of her glass and grabs a cushion, hugging it to her chest before turning over and letting sleep take her. Sometimes, the demons don't follow her there.

* * *

It's been a week. Nothing major has happened, and Chloe went back to her daily routine. Tonight are the results of the election. Chloe has just finished getting ready, and goes to the kitchen to pour herself a glass.

She's just situated herself at the table when her phone rings. She knows without having to look that it's Beca, and when she turns her eyes to the device, she's surprised to see it isn't.

Frowning at the unknown number, she picks up her phone and accepts the call.

"Hello?"

" _Hey,"_ Chloe recognizes Beca's voice immediately and feels a chill going through the length of her body. She feels stupid for picking up without thinking, and yet, part of her thinks it might be what she needed.

"Beca, hi."

She hears the brunette clear her throat. _"I figured you might pick up if I called from another number. Care to explain?"_

"I, I've been busy."

" _Chloe…"_ Beca sighs into the phone, and Chloe feels guilty because she's the reason for the disappointment she can hear in Beca's voice. She doesn't mind being disappointed by others, but she can't stand being the reason behind it. Especially when it comes to Beca. _"Why have you been ignoring me for the past week? I thought we were okay."_

"We are," Chloe's voice is rushed. "I just, I couldn't answer the phone. Last week was hectic."

" _Why couldn't you answer the phone?"_ Chloe knows Beca's onto something and she's torn between feeling relieved or scared. _"Are you okay? I saw the article on People, that's why I've been trying to reach you."_

"I'm fine."

" _Chlo, please be honest with me."_

Chloe takes a deep breath, straightening in her chair. "I don't know what you want me to say."

" _I want you to tell me that you need help."_ Chloe opens and closes her mouth several times, but no sound comes out. " _Chloe, is he hurting you?"_ Beca's voice is so soft, but Chloe can't help but dread every word. She doesn't know what to say. She could lie, she could hang up the phone and block the number, but she's tired of it. Beca's insistence in reaching her over the past week and her speech are proof enough that the brunette cares about her and wouldn't let her down should she come to the decision that has been wracking her brain for the last couple of days.

"Beca, I can't-" She hates the way her voice wavers.

 _"Please don't hang up,"_ Beca requests hastily. _"Please hear me out."_ Chloe doesn't say anything, and it must prompt Beca into continuing, _"I want to help. I want you to be safe and I need you to be okay. If he is hurting you and you are stuck, I can help. I **will** help, you have my word. Chloe, I just want you to be fucking __**safe**_ _. He's **not** a good person."  
_

"Shut up!" Chloe snaps, slamming her hand down on the table. Her own outburst startles her and she lets out a sound; halfway between a sob and a whimper. Her hand shakes as she pushes her hair back from her sweating forehead. The end of the line is eerily silent. "Please, stop saying that."

 _"Tell me he has never abused you, physically or psychologically, and I will drop it."_ Chloe doesn't say anything, because she _can't_. _"Oh my God."_

Her heart clenches painfully when she hears Beca's sob through the phone, and she wills her brain to ignore it because she might crumple herself, and Greg is bound to come home any minute. Her heartbeat accelerates and she feels a trickle of cold sweat down her back, "It-it's not that simple, Beca."

 _"You're not alone, Chloe. I'm here. Stacie and Aubrey are here. Aubrey can help you take that son of a bitch down."_

"I _can't_ get out," her voice enventually cracks and her shoulders sag. "He won't let me. I can't go to the police, he's the DA, Beca." Finally, she admits it, "I need help."

And suddenly, the three uttered words are the key which unlocks the prison doors. Chloe feels like the oxygen she's has been deprived of the last few years come surging into her, and she can finally breathe again. It's overwhelming; and ironically, she starts to hyperventilate, as if her lungs are trying to make up for lost time.

 _"I'm here, Chlo."_ Beca's voice is soft and calm, and it settles Chloe's erratic breathing, the words lifting the crushing weight off Chloe's chest. _"I'll help you."_ Chloe nods several times, even though Beca can't see her. _"Is he working tomorrow?"_

"Yeah."

 _"Okay. Can you take a taxi to the airport?"_

Beca's voice sounds so far away as Chloe's mind jumps back and forth between possible scenarios following the possibly wrong decision. Her brain is on overdrive, and it struggles to keep up with Beca's questions. Images of what might happen if Greg finds out flood her mind. "I-I don't think I have enough money."

 _"Okay, okay."_ There's pause, and then she speaks again, _"I'll come to New York. I'll be there ASAP, and we can do this together, alright? Is there any place you can stay tonight other than at home?"_

"Tonight's the election, I have to be there." Keys turn in the lock and Chloe looks over her shoulder in panic. "I have to go."

Before Beca can respond, she's hung up and tossed the phone away from her. Her hands are still shaking and she downs her drink, wincing as the alcohol stings her throat. Her heart is still beating wildly against her ribcage and she's not sure she's able to stand.

"Chloe baby, you ready?" Greg's voice fills the apartment, and Chloe dabs at her cheeks and straightens her dress before tentatively getting to her feet. She walks out of the kitchen on unsteady legs and her husband greets her a with a kiss, tells her he just has to change and that they will be hitting the road any minute now.

As she waits for him by the door, Chloe feels like she's standing on a thin thread that can break any second.

 _You're not alone._

Beca's words ring into her ears and it eases the fear eating at her stomach.

Before she can think further, her husband is by her side, and presses a lingering kiss to her temple.

"Let's go."

Greg loses the election.

* * *

"Beca?" Beca registers Jesse calling her name, but can't find it in herself to reply. She's staring at the phone in her shaking hand. Chloe hung up a few seconds ago and she has no idea if she's safe. She hears his footsteps coming closer, and feels his hand set between her shoulderblades. "What's going on?"

Beca keeps staring at her professional cell, which she used to call Chloe. Eventually, she snaps out of her daze and looks at him, "I have to go to New York."

"What? Why?"

"It's Chloe." She's up and moving a few seconds later, her body on automatic pilot as she tries to find the stuff she'll need. It's useless though, because her vision is blinded with unshed tears and her brain doesn't seem able to work properly. "Have you seen my purse?"

"Whoa, whoa," Jesse moves in front of her, seizing her upper arms gently, "Take a breather. What's going on?"

"She's in danger. I'll explain more on the way to the airport. Right now I need you to get me a ticket for a flight to New York ASAP."

While Jesse gets on with his task, Beca races upstairs to get her passport and change into comfier clothes. As she fumbles through her drawer, she tries to call Chloe again, but it goes to voicemail. She curses under her breath and goes back downstairs, almost missing the last step in her haste.

"I bought two tickets for a flight that leaves in two hours from LAX. Arrives in La Guardia at 1 am."

Beca frowns, "Two tickets?"

"All I heard was Chloe and danger, and I'm not about to let you go there alone, whatever it is you plan on doing." Jesse says as he grabs his keys, phone and jacket, and Beca manages to push away her grim thoughts to smile at him in gratitude.

The 5-hour-flight is probably one of the longuest Beca's ever experienced. When it touches down and slows to a cruising speed, she unfastens her seatbelt and jolts from her seat to grab her and Jesse's bag.

"Do you have an address?" Jesse asks as they make their way out of the plane, and Beca's determined steps falter. She doesn't. All she knows is Chloe's school, which is closed at this hour. She grabs her phone to try and call Chloe again, but it chimes awake with an incoming call from an unknown number.

She holds up a finger to Jesse, before picking up. "Hello?"

" _Hi, is this Beca Mitchell?"_

"Yes. Who's this?"

She's confused; nobody save her friends and family have her personal cell number.

" _This is Lower Manhattan New York Presbyterian Hospital._ _I'm calling about a Chloe Logan?"_

Beca's blood runs cold, dread creeping into her limbs as she waits for the inevitable; Chloe's hurt.

* * *

 **Yikes, I'll be hiding behind a corner now.**

 **This chapter was already too big, I had to stop it somewhere, and I guess I couldn't resist a little cliffhanger. Promise I won't keep you hanging too long.**


	9. Breathe

" _Ma'am?_ "

The voice seems miles and miles away, muffled by the ringing in Beca's ears. She registers Jesse looking at her in concern, brows knitted together. "Yes, I'm here. Is she okay?"

" _Her life is no longer in danger, but I advise you come as soon as possible, she's been asking for you since waking up."_

Beca shakes her head, as if trying to wake herself up from a nightmare. She wants to throw up. Raking a hand through her hair, she wills her eyes to focus on something to stop the nausea spreading into her stomach. " _No longer_ in danger? Jesus. What _happened_? How bad is she hurt?"

" _I'm not at liberty to divulge more information over the phone, Ms. Mitchell."_

While this piece of information tames the feeling of sickness, it's not enough to lift the dread that paralizes her limbs. "Can I at least talk to her?"

 _"I'm afraid not. Mrs. Logan was in distress and had to be sedated."_

Beca feels like the ground beneath her is crumbling, and she's losing her footing. Like she's about to be swallowed by an enormous hole and Jesse's arm around her is the only thing to keep her from falling. "I'll be there in less than an hour. Thank you."

Beca ends the call and lets her hand dangle to her side, standing there motionless for a while, oblivious to the people rushing past her. Jesse grabs her arm and pulls her to the side. Then, she loses her composure entirely. She crumples in his arms, helpless against the fear tearing at her chest. She takes in huge gasps of air but they all seem to get stuck in her throat and never reach her lungs. She feels Jesse's arms around her body, his hands running up and down her back and comforting words being whispered in her ear.

"Beca," his voice is small and hesitant and she doesn't know how much time has passed. She's managed to get a hold on her breathing and strength in her leaden legs. "I need you to talk to me."

She feels herself nod against his chest and pulls away, "Chloe's in the hospital," Realization dawns upon her that Chloe asked for her, _needs_ her, and it suffices to get her up and moving. Tucking her phone into her rear pocket, Beca frantically looks around for the exit. She realizes she must look like a mad woman to Jesse, switching from a feeble state to a 'woman on a mission' attitude in mere seconds.

"The driver is waiting for us out front," Jesse tells her as they walk up the corridor leading to the gating area. "There are probably gonna be paparazzi outside security."

"Don't give a fuck." Beca bites out as she marches toward the exit with a determined step, though she still reaches in her jacket pocket for her sunglasses; the last thing she needs are pictures of her with bloodshot eyes leaked to the tabloids.

They step out of the ID control area and are, in just a few seconds, surrounded by about ten paparazzi.

"Beca, what are you doing back in New York so soon?"

"Care to comment on your relationship with Chloe Logan?"

"Will you be performing at the iHeart Radio in a few weeks?"

Beca ignores the questions fired at her, her knuckle sliding the sunglasses further up her nose as she lets Jesse guide her toward the exit. She exhales when they are finally inside the car, and pulls the glasses off.

The next 45 minutes are absolute _hell_. Beca bolts from the car before it's even come to a stop in front of the hospital doors and jogs through them to the information desk.

"Chloe Logan's room, please," Her tone is urgent and she feels Jesse's presence beside her. Her fingers drum against her pants as she waits for the woman at the desk to pull up Chloe's file.

"Relation?"

"I'm her uh- best friend, Beca Mitchell. She asked for me."

"Oh, right." The receptionist nods, a glint of genuine sadness flashing in her eyes, and Beca doesn't know what to make of that. Her fingers dance faster against her thigh until Jesse grabs her hand, stilling her movements. "She's in the Trauma wing. That's on the first floor, room 104. Please have a piece of ID ready to show the policeman at her door, I'll call ahead and tell my colleague you're coming up."

"A policeman?" Beca chokes on the word.

"Mrs Logan was brought in after being assaulted in her home."

Her husband. Of the many things Beca feels in that moment, guilt takes first place. She should have called the police the other day. She should have come to New York sooner when she couldn't reach Chloe. Part of her hates Stacie for convincing her not to do so.

She blinks, rooted to her spot, until Jesse gently grabs her elbow and leads her toward the first floor.

The pair goes up the stairs, and as predicted, a nurse, who looks to be in her mid-forties is waiting for them outside what Beca figures is Chloe's room. Her heartbeat pounds in her ears as she comes to a stop.

"Hi, I'm Beca Mitchell," she introduces herself, then point to Jesse, "This is Jesse Swanson, Chloe knows him too."

The woman nods, "Mrs. Logan is stable. She's sleeping right now. Visitation hours are over at this hour, but I'll make an exception for your since the patient was in distress and kept asking for you."

"Thank you."

"Only one person, though." She directs this to Jesse, who nods and squeezes Beca's shoulder.

"I'll go get us a snack and a coffee."

Jesse leaves, and Beca turns back to the nurse. The latter smiles kindly. Apprently Beca's own distress is showing. "Just a warning, Mrs. Logan had a panic attack when she regained consciousness, so we had to put her in soft restrains so she wouldn't hurt herself and give her something to relax. She dozed off a while ago."

Beca's throat bobs up and down in a painful swallow, and she follows the nurse into the room once she has showed her ID to the cop standing outside the door. She hears the nurse say something but her voice is muffled by the cloging in her brain. All she can focus on is Chloe.

Her chest seizes when she crosses the threshold. Chloe's sleeping form looks peaceful, and yet so small in the hospital bed. The room is eerily quiet, save for the heart monitor. There's no breathing machine, which Beca takes as a good sign.

What shocks Beca the most are the bruises marring Chloe's face and neck. Her left eye is heavily bruised and looks swollen shut and similar marks trail down the side of her jaw. The circular bruising around her neck leaves little doubt as to what caused it. There is a cut in her bottom lip and one above her eyebrow which appears to have been stitched up. Her right hand is in a splint. Beca doesn't know what she was expecting, but her nostrils flare in anger upon seeing the marks he left on her.

She takes a tentative step inside the room.

"Press the button behind the bed when she wakes up, and the doctor will be in to do a check-up." The nurse's voice makes Beca jump lightly, having forgotten about her. "I'll be stopping by every hour to check her vitals. If you need anything I'll be at the nurse's station down the hall to the left."

Beca nods in thanks and takes a seat next to the bed once the nurse has left the room, immediately reaching for Chloe's good hand. A cap is clasped to her pointer finger, and Beca's limited knowledge in medicine tells her it's there to monitor her heartbeat rate. Chloe's skin is warm under Beca's fingertips, and she moves them up to feel her pulse, which beats strongly beneath her thumb. Beca closes her eyes and exhales, the strong and steady rhythm underneath her digit bringing her another kind of relief.

She's back on solid ground, the rocks are no longer giving out under her feet and the turmoil in her chest settles down. Chloe's _okay_.

A yawn escapes her mouth. It's pushing past 2 am in NYC, and even though she's still on LA time, her lids feel heavy, the web of emotions having drained what little energy she had left in her body after the long week she has had. She drops a kiss onto the back of Chloe's hand and lies her head down next to it, soon drifting off to the steady sound of the heart monitor.

* * *

Beca grumbles when she feels someone shake her shoulder. Normally she would tell them to go away, but the pain in her neck is getting uncomfortable, which prompts her to open her eyes.

"Hey," Jesse's voice brings her back to reality. She lifts her head from the bed and blinks at the harsh light. She's slightly dazed, but the events come back to her quickly. "I brought you some food and a coffee. I'm not actually supposed to be in here, the cop outside let me in just to drop these off."

He hands her a sandwich, a cereal bar and sets the cup of coffee on the nearby table. Beca lets the items drop to her lap as her eyes move to Chloe, who's still asleep.

"How is she?" he asks, concern etched in his features.

Beca clears her throat of any leftover sleepiness, "The nurse hasn't told me much other than the fact that I should call the doctor when she wakes up. She had a panic attack when she woke up so they sedated her."

Jesse nods, his hand going back and forth between her shoulder blades, "How are you holding up?"

Beca shrugs, her eyes focusing back on Chloe's sleeping form, "I'm better now that I know she's safe. But I also know she has a long road ahead of her."

"She'll be fine as long as she has you."

Beca manages to smile at his words despite the sorrow in her chest. She cuts her gaze to him and realizes he looks like hell, too. She squeezes his hand as it moves to her shoulder. "You don't have to stay here, Jesse."

"I was gonna wait in the hall."

"No, you should go to a hotel and sleep. There's a cop outside the door, so we're safe. One of us needs to be well rested tomorrow, and there's no way I'm leaving her side tonight." There's no way she's letting Chloe go again.

Jesse rubs his pointer finger and his thumb over the shell of his ear repeatedly, something Beca knows he often does whenever he's debating a decision. "Yeah, okay. I'll be back first thing in the morning. Call me if you need anything, and I mean it."

Beca forces a smile, "I will."

He drops a kiss into her hair, tells her he loves her, and is out the door a moment later. A few minutes pass, and Beca's about to doze off once more, when she feels the hand she's holding twitch. Chloe's frowning and blinking against the harsh light of the hospital room, much like Beca a few minutes ago.

"Hey," she murmurs as Chloe's eyes open. Well, eye. As predicted, her right one is swollen shut.

"Beca?"

Chloe's voice is hoarse and barely reaches above a whisper.

"Yeah. I'm here," Tears are quick to fill Beca's orbs. She moves so that she's sat on the edge of the bed, facing Chloe.

"Water, please,"

Beca springs to action and pours some water in a cup on the table, before going back to the bed and lifting it to Chloe's lips. Her other hand slips behind Chloe's neck and prop her head slightly. The blonde takes a few sips before pulling away. The act alone seems painful, and she drops her head back against the pillows, her lids fighting to remain open.

"What happened?" She croaks out.

Beca sits back on the bed, threading her fingers with Chloe's. "You don't remember?"

Chloe blinks several times, "I-I remember getting back from the election, then lying on the floor and then the ambulance… it's all kinda blurry."

She frowns and winces, the movement stretching the cut above her eyebrow. She lets go of Beca's hand, probably to touch her forehead, but her arms are still restrained.

"It's okay, it's just a cut," Beca says softly. Chloe's eyes fill with incomprehension as to why she can't move her arms properly. "You had a panic attack, so they um- they had to put restraints." Beca explains, not sure if she can take them off herself, even if she desperately wants to. "Shit, I was supposed to call the doctor as soon as you woke up."

Beca stands once again and presses the blue button above the bed. She resumes her position on the bed and tucks a strand of Chloe's hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner. I got the first flight out."

Chloe hums in response, and Beca can tell she's completely out of it. "'S okay."

Beca bites the inside of her cheek to keep herself from crying. It's _not_ okay. Had she come sooner, Chloe wouldn't be in this state. She wouldn't be in the hospital at all.

A knock on the door pulls them out of their moment. An older woman walks in, dressed in green scrubs and a white coat, carrying a chart.

"Hello again Chloe, I'm glad to see you awake," she says warmly, coming to stand by the otherside of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Sleepy." Chloe slurs.

The doctor hums as she moves to unfasten Chloe's wrists. "Any pain?"

"My head hurts. And my side too, when I breathe in," she pauses and her eyes droop a tiny bit, "What happened?"

The doctor exchanges a look with Beca before focusing back on Chloe and echoing Beca's words, "You don't remember?"

Chloe shakes her head, "Not really. Bits and pieces but… It's my husband, isn't it?"

"You were found alone in your apartment. A neighbor called 911 after hearing a commotion and screams." The doctor says, approaching the bed. "Your husband was the one who did this to you?"

"Yes." Chloe's answer is immediate and Beca lets out a breath. She half expected Chloe to avoid the subject. "I don't remember what happened last night but I'm sure it's him."

The doctor nods, placing a hand on Chloe's shoulder. She is collected, and Beca figures she probably deals with a lot of domestic abuse cases. Beca's hand curls, nails digging into her palm in anger. How someone could do this to Chloe, or to any woman in general, goes beyond her comprehension.

"A detective will talk to you about that in the morning. As you suffered from a concussion, it's not uncommon to experience short term memory loss. You will probably remember in a few hours."

She takes a stick out of her pocket and shines the light into Chloe's eyes, telling her to look up, then down, left and right.

"Good," she said, writing a few things down on her chart. "Can you tell me your full name?"

"Chloe Alexandra Beale, married name is Logan."

"Okay. Where are we now?"

"At the hospital in New York."

"Good. Who's this?" She asks then, pointing to Beca.

"The most talented DJ in the US."

Beca is surprised by her answer. Chloe's been through hell tonight, and she still manages to joke. Beca rolls with it and sticks her tongue out, blush creeping onto her cheeks.

The doctor chuckles, eyes warm and smile kind, "I knew I recognized you from somewhere." She turns back to Chloe. "How about her name?"

"Beca Mitchell."

The doctor ticks something on her paper and drops the pen back in her chest pocket. "Okay, everything looks fine. You CT is clear, there is no brain swelling. You have three broken ribs, hence the pain in your side, but luckily they didn't puncture your lung. We were worried that the blows to your abdomen might have caused damage to your organs but it doesn't seem so. We'll do a second ultrasound tomorrow just to check. Your wrist is sprained, but it's nothing serious, it should heel in a week's time. I want to keep you one more night just in case because of you concussion. The protocol is quite strict in domestic assault, a psychiatrist will make an assessment tomorrow and the hospital social worker will visit as well."

The doctor looks at Beca briefly, "Did you plan on staying here?"

Beca nips at her bottom lip, eyes hopeful, "Can I?"

"I'll make an exception." She winks and Beca smiles in gratitude. "I'll see if someone can bring a cot in here. Try and get some sleep, Chloe. Your body needs it. There's a drug pump right here," she plucks the device in Chloe's hand. "The dose is not strong but will give you some pain relief if it gets too uncomfortable." The doctor smiles warmly at them both and pats Chloe's leg on her way to the door. "I'll see you in the morning."

Beca thanks her, before a heavy silence settles in the room save from the flapping of the closing door upon the doctor's exit. Chloe's gaze flit on the window, through which shine the New York City lit buildings. Beca doesn't know what to do except holding Chloe's hand and running her thumb over her knuckles over and over again.

"Chlo..." she murmurs when she sees a lone tear spill from the blonde's eye and make its way down her cheek.

"What if I don't want to remember?"

Her voice sounds so shattered that it tugs at Beca's heartstrings, and makes it difficult for the brunette to breathe. A sob catches in Chloe's throat and Beca grinds her teeth to stop the one threatening to escape her own.

Chloe looks down at her injured hand, which lies in her lap. "I don't want to remember every insult or threat, every kick or blow. I remember all the other times it happened but I know from the pain-" she stops abruptly, the waver in her voice too strong for her to keep going. "that this time was _awful_. I remember waking up on the floor and-and trying to get my phone but I couldn't reach it. My whole body was hurting and I couldn't _move_."

She ends the sentence with a whimper and Beca feels the tears running over her own cheeks and down her chin, but she is past trying to keep her emotions in check by now. She hastily wipes her face with her sleeve and drags her chair closer to Chloe's bed. Her hand finds her cheek. Cupping it, she catches a few drops with her thumb.

"It's important that you remember," she starts, her tone quivering. Her fingers slide down to tilt Chloe's chin towards her, "because your testimony is the only way to make that monster go to jail for what he put you through these last few years. It's all going downhill for him."

Beca's knuckles stroke her cheek before she drops her hand back to Chloe's, her eyes never breaking their bond with Chloe's watering blue ones. "And it won't be easy to testify, but I'll be here. I promise." She lifts Chloe's hand and drops a kiss along her knuckles. "You're safe now, Chlo."

Chloe nods as she exhales, the string of her breathing irregular. She laces her fingers through Beca's, "Could you lie with me?"

Beca hesitates; the hospital bed is fairly small and Chloe's body has been through hell. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't."

And Beca knows Chloe isn't just talking about right now.

The blonde scoots over slightly, wincing at the pain it causes her, while Beca stands, pulls her boots off her feet and shrugs her jacket off. She struggles for a several seconds with the bed rail before succeeding in unlocking it. She gently sits back against the pillows and lies down on her side, facing Chloe. For once Beca is glad she's so short.

Not really knowing what to do with her arms, she keeps her left one against her side and drapes the right one over Chloe's head, her fingers lightly running through the other woman's hair.

Chloe closes her eyes and tucks her head into Beca's side, sighing softly. Beca drops a kiss to her forehead and closes her eyes.

" _I've got a ticket for the long-way round_ ," Beca's voice echoes in the hospital room. Her tone is soft as she sings close to Chloe's ear. " _Two bottles of whiskey for the way._ "

She continues to sing until Chloe's breathing evens out, indicating she has fallen asleep, and only then does Beca allow Morpheus's arms to take her as well.

* * *

Phew. See, Chloe's safe :) Blown away by the response over last chapter, and would definitely like to hear your thoughts on this one!


	10. She Trusts You

"Hello Mrs. Logan. I'm detective Lindsay, this is my partner detective Monroe," a tall woman introduces herself as she walks into the room, followed by a blonde haired man. "Is it okay if we ask you a few questions?"

"Yes." Chloe manages, her voice weary.

The woman approaches the bed while her colleague pulls out a notepad. "Would you mind stepping out for a moment?" she's directing the question towards Beca, who hesitates but nods, starting to stand up.

"Stay," Chloe says, catching Beca's wrist with the tip of her fingers. "Can she stay?"

Dt. Lindsay nods and takes a few steps towards the bed. "Of course, as long as you're comfortable."

Beca sits back in her chair and grabs Chloe's hand, giving it a squeeze. She hasn't slept much last night, and only managed to go to the cafeteria to get some coffee. It's 9 am, and all Beca wants to do is sleep. But she also doesn't want to leave Chloe.

"Mrs. Logan-"

"I'd rather you called me Chloe," she pleads.

"OK, Chloe," she says with a soft smile. "Please tell me as soon as this gets too much and you need a break, alright? We need as much information as we need but I understand you've been through a lot so I won't push you."

Beca decides she likes the woman standing at the foot of the bed. Her voice is warm and she is barely older than she and Chloe. The fact that she's a woman will probably help Chloe share her story, too.

"Can you walk me through what happened yesterday?"

"It's a bit hazy but," Chloe takes a deep breath, pushing through the pain that shoots through her side while doing so. "My husband was running for Attorney General, it's been his goal all his life, and last night, he lost. He um, we left early and exited through a door on the side of the building which comes to an alley. He-he started to blame me for his defeat and insult me. He slapped me and I fell on the ground from the blunt force of it."

Chloe's eyes are locked on the blanket thrown over her legs. Beca's calm demeanor is running away and she feels her stomach knot in anger. The things she would do to give him a piece of her mind.

"And then what happened?"

"I tried to fight back when he dragged me by the arm to go home. I couldn't go home with him, I-"

"Why not?"

Beca knows the detective is pushing for a reason. She wants to hear the words out of Chloe's mouth. Chloe's eyes finally leave the comforter and find the detective's. "Because I knew he might kill me."

Beca's mouth dries up at the way Chloe speaks about her possible death. Her voice doesn't carry much emotion, as if she has told herself a long time ago that her life wasn't really worth it anymore.

The detective frowns, "Was this the first time he hit you?"

Chloe wrenches her hand away from Beca's and folds it with her other in her lap, playing with her fingers nervously, "No."

"How long has this been going on?"

Chloe shrugs, and Bec watches with pained eyes as she shuts herself down with each question. "I can't really say. He started to be very controling after we got married. He would forbid me to go out without him and see my friends. He is a very jealous man."

"Have you ever told anyone about this?"

There's a bit of silence, during which Beca's heart aches for Chloe. "No."

The detective nods as her colleague tries to write everything down. Beca tries to fight down the bile rising in her throat.

"So you went home with him after he hit you in the alley?"

It's just a question, and given the detective's tone not an accusation, but Beca sees Chloe tense and her eyes turn cold. "I-I didn't want to. But then-" A sob wracks her throat and she raises a hand to her face to cover her mouth.

"It's okay," Beca whispers, setting a hand on Chloe's knee over the sheets. "We can stop if you need to."

Chloe shakes her head, removing her hand to wipe at her eyes. "Then he said that if I didn't come with him he would go after Beca."

Beca feels the air leave her lungs as she stares at Chloe. Chloe's avoiding her eyes and Beca is painfully starting to suffocate with guilt.

"Who's Beca?" The other detective asks, looking up from his notepad.

Beca's eyes don't waver from Chloe's face as she speaks. "It's me."

It gets all too much in a matter of seconds. What Stacie said could happen, has; she caused Chloe trouble because of the press, because of her speech; she's fed Greg's jealousy the days leading up to the election. The sick feeling in her stomach becomes too insistant to ignore and she bolts from her chair, knocking it in the process, before rushing to the door.

She crosses the waiting area to the bathroom and barely makes it there before what little food she has in her stomach comes back up. She heaves in the ceramic bowl, and briefly registers someone pulling her hair back. When she thinks she's done, she wipes her mouth and sits back against the wall, meeting Jesse's eyes.

Then, the emotion that has been building up since seeing Chloe in the hospital room screams to get out, and Beca's body starts to shake with sobs.

"It's my fault," she cries against Jesse's chest as he wraps her up in a hug.

"What?" he asks, and she hears confusion in his voice but he doesn't pull away.

"He was jealous of me."

There's a flicker of pity in Jesse's eyes. "Beca..."

"There were paparazzi pictures in the press, I-I talked about her in my speech, and then that article about us in _People_. God, I've been so stupid," Beca presses the heel of her hand to her forehead, as if to supress the oncoming headache. She closes her eyes and exhales slowly. "I should have come here sooner, I should have insisted more, I should have-"

"Hey, hey," Jesse pulls her at arm's length, both hands grasping her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "The should haves and what ifs aren't going to help. Chloe's alive, and she's safe now. And that's because of _you_. Who knows if you two hadn't met again or if you hadn't insisted in looking for her where she would be now? Stuck for many more years with that son of a bitch because she has no one to turn to? She has you now. And I know for a fact that you aren't going anywhere. I know for a fact that Chloe trusts you. The facts are what we need to focus on, and they make me rather optimistic for Chloe's future."

Beca lets Jesse's words sink in for a moment, before she reaches up and wipes her tears away. She feels like she's cried more in the last twelve hours than in her whole life. "When'd you get so wise?"

Jesse laughs and squeezes her in his arms once more, before helping her to stand up. "C'mon."

He leads her to a sit in the waiting room but she tells him she needs some time on her own and will be outside.

Beca has never understood the saying 'to see red' until now. The sight she's greeted with when she steps outside has her suddenly blinded with rage. Rage that seeps through her whole body and makes her shake. Rage she cannot control, and has her marching towards him before she can think twice.

"You fucking bastard!" Greg was just stepping out of the cab and has barely time to turn before Beca shoves him with all the strength she can muster. He stumbles a bit in surprise, but manages to stay on his feet. "How dare you come here?!"

"I-I," he looks at loss for words, and Beca can see he's been crying. "I want to see Chloe and tell her I'm sorry, I-"

"Sorry!" Beca's eyebrows shoot up to her hairline. Her voice has turned into something she doesn't even recognize. She scoffs, "Sorry doesn't even begin to cut it, asshole."

Greg lets out a sob, and Beca's briefly baffled by that. "I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me," His voice breaks, "I love her. I'm-I'm just s-sick. "

Beca cannot believe what she's hearing. She doesn't know what goes through her mind at this point. Her brain is reduced to a tangled mess of emotional exhaustion coupled with downright hatred directed towards the man in front of her. She registers a blinding pain in her knuckles and hears a crack, but she doesn't know if it comes from her hand, Greg's nose or both.

She recoils in shock, because she's punched only one person in her life before this, and it was a middle-aged acapella contestant who was _asking_ to be hit, not a man who is capable of beating his own wife.

Greg staggered back and when he looks up a few seconds later, nose bleeding, the mood-shift happens right before her eyes. The darkness in his gaze is enough to make her quiver, but she stands her ground.

"You bitch," he spits at her, and she can see the muscles in his jaw twitch. Beca does in fact believe he's sick. No one in their right mind would go from being overly distressed to downright menacing in a snap of the fingers.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Beca narrows her eyes at him, "What are you gonna do? Hit me? Like you did with Chloe for the past few years?"

Beca's aware she's walking on thin ice, but she also knows he's not stupid enough to attack her in broad daylight in front of a hospital. It doesn't make her feel less nervous though; she feels sweat trickle down her back and her hearbeat hammer against her ribs as he towers over her.

"You're a worthless piece of scum. You don't deserve even an ounce of Chloe." Beca sneers at him, because it's just too tempting not do so. "She didn't have anything to do with you losing the election, but you still blamed her for it. But it's all going downhill for you now."

"I would shut the fuck up if I were you." He's come so close she can feel his breath against her skin.

"You need to back off," Beca's never been so relieved to hear Jesse's voice. Greg's focus leaves her form and he looks past her.

"Gregory Logan? You're under arrest for assault on the person of Chloe Logan," Dt. Lindsay comes into view, and she yanks his arms behind his back, snapping a pair of handcuffs around his wrists.

"I'm the fucking DA. I can have you fired for this," he protests, looking over his shoulder at the woman behind him.

The detective ignores him, "From now on anything you say can and will be held against you."

She hands him off to the cop who was standing outside Chloe's room, who leads him to the patrol car off the parking lot.

"How much time is he looking at?" Beca asks after releasing a long breath.

"Not enough if you ask me." At that, Beca frowns. "Domestic abuse cases rarely go to trial. Mrs. Logan's testimony is the only thing the justice can hold against him. She has told nobody about this and to anyone who knows the couple, he's a proper husband. He can go to jail but the most likely scenario is a fine, some community service and a restraining order from Mrs. Logan."

Beca sets her jaw. "That's it?! He beat her up!"

"I know," Dt. Lindsay's tone is understanding, but it's not enough to tame Beca's anger. "But that's the way justice regards domestic violence. And given his job, there's very little chance he'll go to prison. However, he will probably lose his position as DA."

Beca nods, and means to stuff her hands into her pockets, because apparently there's not much else she can do other than bite back her fustration. She gasps when pain shoots up her hand and pulls it away from her pocket to look at it.

"You should get that looked at," Dt. Lindsay says, "Mean right hook." She adds with a smirk, and Beca finds herself chuckling for the first time of the day.

"I think I hurt myself more than I hurt him."

The detective gives her a sympathetic smile, "Alright, I need to back to the station. I sent a team to Mrs. Logan's home to collect evidence." she announces, "If this ever goes to trial, she'll have to testify in front of the court. Until then, take good care of her."

Beca gives her a light smile in thanks, and turns around to face Jesse. "How'd you know I needed help?"

"Well, looked like you didn't really need help after all," he says smugly, bumping his hip against Beca. "I got worried when I saw you weren't coming back so I came looking for you, just in time to see you clock him. I told the security guard to call the detectives upstairs."

She goes back to Chloe's room an hour after that, her upper hand, middle finger and ring finger wrapped in a soft cast. Chloe is staring out the window when she enters, looking lost in thoughts. When she sees Beca, her expression softens.

"Are you okay?" Chloe's voice is small but still sounds stronger than before.

Beca nods, shuffling toward the bed. "Yeah. Sorry about earlier."

Chloe shakes her head, "Don't apologize." Her eyes drop to Beca's injured hand as it comes into view. "Beca, what happened?!"

Beca tentatively sits on the side of the bed, her good hand grasping Chloe's. "I, uh, punched Greg?"

The color drains from Chloe's face at the mention of her husband. "What? He's _here_?"

She looks around the room with panic in her eyes, as though expecting Greg to materialize into the room. Beca realizes how much control he has on her without even being present, and how the mere mention of him frightens her to the core. She realizes that the road ahead will have many more bumps and turns than she expected there to be.

"Not anymore," Beca assures her, squeezing her hand. "I was outside when I saw him. I kinda lost my temper, broke my knuckle on his nose and they arrested him."

She expects Chloe to smile, or make a joke about Beca breaking her hand but Chloe's eyes only drift from hers as she looks down.

"I'm sorry," she whispers. "This is all my fault."

"No." Beca's voice is stern as she sets her jaw. "This is not your fault. I won't let you take the blame for what he did and for what he's been doing for years. You hear me?" Chloe hesitantly meets her eyes and nods. It's weak and Beca barely catches the motion. She squeezes Chloe's hand. "They arrested him. He's gone, Chloe."

"The detective told me there's only a slight chance that he goes to jail."

Beca would have liked to break those news to Chloe once they were both on the other side of the country.

"Yeah, she told me. It's fucked up."

"He wouldn't have done anything that could risk him jail time. His career is worth more than anything else to him. That's probably why he didn't kill me."

Beca purses her lips, "Well his career is about to be flushed down the drain."

Chloe falls silence for awhile, and Beca can't really tell what she's thinking. "What now?"

"The offer to go back to LA with me still stands. I don't think staying in New York is the safest option right now. So if you want to, I still have that spare bedroom that can become yours, and I think the house is big enough so you won't get sick of me. "

This pulls a laugh from Chloe and the sound takes off a little bit of the weight crushing Beca's chest. "As if." she pauses as she plays with Beca's fingers, "I-yeah, I'd like that. Are you sure it's okay?"

"Honestly? I'd love nothing more."

And that's the first smile Beca sees reach Chloe's eyes.

* * *

"Ready to go?" Beca asks as she steps through the door of what has been Chloe's hospital room for the last two days. She's brought Chloe a change of clothes, which Chloe told her she is glad of after spending the last 48h in one of those ugly hospital gowns.

The blonde, sat on the side of her bed, waves Beca over. "Can you help me get my shoes on? I can't really bend over."

"Oh yeah, sure." She guides Chloe to the nearby chair because her feet don't touch the ground from the bed, and helps her feet into her white Chuck Taylor's before tying the laces.

"All done," she says as she stands back up, hands on her thighs. The amused smile on Chloe's lips pricks her curiosity. "What?"

"You sound like a mom."

Beca rolls her eyes, "Ha, that's not happening," she says, then corrects herself upon Chloe's blank look. "Not for a while, at least."

She helps Chloe to her feet and picks up her overnight bag, placing it over her shoulder.

"We have a flight in two hours at JFK. Jesse is waiting for us downstairs. He went and picked up soem of your stuff from your apartment."

As they get out of the building by the back door, Beca slips her hand into Chloe's; it's more become of a habit now, she doesn't even realize she's doing it anymore. She doesn't berate with herself for endless minutes before she does it, it's become an automatism. They step inside the vehicle, where Jesse is sitting in the front seat next to the driver.

"Why the back door?" Chloe asks as she puts on her seatbelt with a wince.

Jesse turns slightly from his spot, "Because Beca here seems to attract every damn paparazzi in the city and they somehow knew we were leaving today, so there's a sea of them out front. I figured you could manage without them putting cameras in your face."

Chloe smiles softly, "Thanks, Jesse."

He winks at her before looking back toward the road, "I can't promise anything about the airport though."

"It's okay," Beca speaks, heart skipping a beat when Chloe slips her hand into hers and laces their fingers. "We'll just tell them to go fuck themselves."

Chloe chuckles, then winces in pain, placing a hand against her ribs. "Please don't make me laugh, Becs."

The brunette shrugs, "I can't help it that I'm so funny."

"And humble," comes from the front seat, and Chloe snickers again, before cursing them both as she grits her teeth.

The rest of the ride is mostly spent in silence, save from the low volume radio to fill the white noise. Chloe dozes off for about ten minutes, Beca's thumb running over her knuckles helping the motion.

She's sufficiently awake when the car stops in front of the entrance. Beca hands her two items. Chloe looks down to see a pair of sunglasses and a NY black cap. Even though she can now open her eye a tiny bit, the surrounding has turned a blueish color and is not very appealing. Chloe looks grateful for the two items, which would cover her eye and the nasty scar on her forehead.

"No that you don't look beautiful, but I guess you don't want pictures of you in the tabloid looking like you got into a bar fight."

It's supposed to be a joke, but Beca bites her tongue the moment the words tumble from her mouth. It did sound better in her head, but her brain has apparently forgotten the last turn of events.

"God, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking, I-"

Chloe squeezes her hand. "It's okay," she manages. "I appreciate you getting those for me."

Beca puts on her own sunglasses and steps out of the car while Jesse helps Chloe get out. The paparazzis are thankfully standing behind a rail, but Beca still reaches for Chloe's hand as soon as she stands next to her. She knows she is going to get an earful from her PR about this, because tabloids would use the handhold as proof of Beca being in a relationship, but she hardly gives a shit right now.

Two airport security guards lead them inside and they go through security. Chloe tells Beca she's thankful they don't ask her to take off her shoes; having Beca do it in the privacy of a hospital room was alright, but in front of a line of 20 people is a bit more embarrassing.

They make it to the gate and into the plane 30 minutes later, Chloe actually scolding Beca for buying first class tickets, claiming it's money thrown out the window.

"I didn't want you to be squished and risk hurting your ribs even more, first class seats definitely have more room."

Chloe sits down on the wide leather seat and actually moans in comfort. "That's just an excuse, you just want free champagne."

Beca chuckles, "Well I could definitely use some alcohol after the past few days."

Good God, Beca is this close to stuffing her hand into her mouth to prevent herself from saying things like that.

She sighs and watches as people walk past their seat down the aisle, before leaning in closer to the blonde. "I just meant that since getting that phone call from the hospital, I've been an emotional wreck. I was so scared," she fiddles with Chloe's fingers as she speaks, and looks up to meet sky blue eyes. "You're kind of important to me, Beale."

"So are you, Bec."

Chloe exhales a steady breath and lies her head on Beca's shoulder as the flight attendants close the doors. She sleeps during the whole flight, jolting awake when the plane touches down at LAX. Surprisingly, there are no paparazzi waiting outside the airport, and Beca and Jesse lead Chloe to a vehicule parked a couple yards away. Leaning against it is Aubrey, whose face lights up when she spots them. She carefully hugs Chloe and whispers something into her ear that has Chloe nodding, before she pulls away. She greets Jesse with a quick kiss before hugging Beca.

"Are you alright?" Aubrey asks her, concern showing in her eyes.

"I am now," Beca answers, giving her friend a small smile. Looking satisfied with that answer, Aubrey squeezes her upper arms before she rounds the car to get behind the wheel. Beca joins Chloe in the back seat while Jesse gets in front after depositing Chloe's suitcase in the trunk.

Beca's exhausted; she's slept a total of seven hours in the last two days, and she fights sleep during the whole ride to her house. She's glad when Aubrey stirs the vehicule to a stop in front of the steps leading to the door. She helps Chloe out and walks in front of her to the door, Aubrey and Jesse trailing behind, the latter carrying Chloe's suitcase up the stairs.

"Are you hungry?" Beca asks once Jesse and Aubrey have left. They are standing in what will now be Chloe's room.

"No, not really," Chloe says softly. "I think I could use a nap actually."

Beca nods, thankful for that answer. Her lids have been closing on their own accord since getting off the plane. "Well, make yourself at home. I might go sleep for a while, just wake me up if you need anything you can't find."

"Okay."

The brunette smiles, giving Chloe an awkward wave before stepping out of the room, closing the door softly behind her. It's around 5 pm when she wakes up, and she's a bit disoriented, almost expecting to wake up in Chloe's hospital bed or a hospital cot like she has the last two nights.

She takes a shower and goes downstairs, surprised to see Chloe at the stove.

"Hey," she says, walking over to stand by the counter. Chloe aknowledges her with a small smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Um, I don't really know," she replies, her attention turning back to the pot in front of her where's she's stirring vegetables. "My life just did a 180° turn in 48 hours and it's hard to keep up, I guess. I feel relieved, exhausted, but mostly ashamed."

"Ashamed? What for?"

Chloe sets the spatula down and turns so that her body is facing Beca's. Still, her eyes can't meet the brunette's. "For letting him do this to me. I was in denial for so long, and you came around and then it all made sense. Still, I let him hit me because I thought it was my fault and that I deserved it." Beca can't really describe the pain that spreads into her chest, "Now that I'm out, I feel ashamed for letting him do this to me. I could have left all this time but I didn't and-"

"Because you had nobody else to turn to," Beca interrupts, her hands settling on Chloe's forearm.

Chloe nods, "Yeah."

"Do you think," Beca stops and reaches up to brush a strand of hair back from Chloe's face before letting her hand drop back to her side. "Do you think it might help if you talked to Stacie?"

Chloe shrugs, "Maybe."

Beca hears her phone chime with a new text message and moves to the counter to retrieve the device. It's a text from Aubrey,

 _Turn the TV on NOW. Channel 7._

Beca frowns while she pads to the living-room. She grabs the remote and turns on the screen, shuffling through the channels until she finds the one she's looking for.

 _"-photos of New York County District Attorney's arrest were leaked to the press yesterday, and it set a turmoil in the DA's office. Half a dozen women who work or have worked for the DA in the past have come forward to press assault charges on the person of Gregory Logan. Logan was originally arrested for battery on his wife three days ago. Mr. Logan has been released on bail and is awaiting a trial date. Now onto happier news…"_

Beca mutes the TV and turns to find Chloe staring at the screen, mouth agape and eyes widened in shock. She's about to say something when her phone buzzes in her hand with an incoming call from Aubrey. Beca grabs Chloe's hand to gently pull her to the couch before she accepts Aubrey's call.

"Hey Aubrey,"

 _"Is Chloe here?"_

"Yeah, she's next to me."

 _"Put me on speaker,"_ Aubrey's voice sounds urgent and Beca does as she's told. Soon, the blonde's voice drifts through the room. _"Chloe? Are you ok?"_

It seems to take a while for Chloe to find her voice, "I-I don't know. I had no idea."

Aubrey sighs through the phone, _"Apparently nobody did. But this changes a lot. Your testimony, added to those of these women can make him go down for a long time in prison. Especially now that the case has leaked. It's all over the news. I called a friend of mine who practices in New York and he told me the atmosphere was palpable in the courthouse today. Nobody expected the DA to be facing a possible prison sentence."  
_

"What does Chloe have to do now?" Beca asks, because Chloe remains silent, staring down at the coffee table in front of them.

 _"Not much until a trial date is set. That can be months from now."_

"Will he-will he be in jail until then?" Chloe is the one to ask, her tone shy and hesitant.

 _"No."_ Aubrey answers and Beca feels Chloe tense next to her. _"Apprently he has been released on bail, meaning he walks free until trail under several conditions, such as reporting to the authorities on a regular basis. He won't be able to get out of the state, so you're safe."_

"Will you be handling the case?" Beca asks then.

 _"No. It's handled by the state of New York. But I'll do everything in my power to make sure Chloe's testimony is rock-solid."_

 _"Chloe?"_ Aubrey asks after a few beats of silence during which nobody seems to know what to say. _"I can tell you're worried and afraid of testifying, but I'll prep you. We've got this, sweetie."_

And Beca knows Aubrey well enough to be certain that she will not back down. Beca squeezes Chloe's hand, silently telling her that yes, they have _got_ this.

* * *

 **I debated for a long time over Greg's fate. He died at some point in my head, before I decided to bring him back to life so that Beca could give him a piece of her mind, and maybe Chloe, too, in the future.  
**

 **As always, interested to know what you think. Thanks for the response on last chapter, it's always nice to hear from you!**


	11. Phoenix

Chloe's mind is restless. She tosses and turns in bed, unable to find sleep. Each time she closes her eyes and manages to drift off, she jolts awake in panic. She's never slept well in unfamiliar places, and now, every time she falls asleep, she fears waking up in New York, in she and Greg's apartment.

She's been living with Beca for a week now, and has settled in well, except for the sleeping part. Her injuries have mostly healed; her wrist and side are still tender, but she can now open her eye properly, although the bruise around it has turned to an ugly shade of brownish-yellow that no concealer can hide.

Chloe sighs and rubs her eyes, before pushing her hair away from her sticky forehead. The glare of the alarm clock tells her it's almost 1 am. She tosses the covers back and shrugs on a hoodie discarded on the floor. As she pads down the hall, she notices the light is still on in Beca's room.

She knocks on the partially open door, but doesn't get an answer, and Chloe suddenly feels embarrassed about disturbing Beca at this hour. She spins on the balls of her feet and has just taken a few steps towards the stairs when she hears her name being called.

Chloe buries her hands into the front pocket of her sweater and turns around, walking to Beca's doorway and pushing the door open.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you," the brunette says, motioning for Chloe to come in. Beca is sat in her bed, back resting against the headboard, her laptop in her lap. Her headphones crookedly rest on her ears.

"Can't sleep?" she asks as Chloe sits down next to her on the bed, tucking her legs underneath her body before sitting back on her heels. She shakes her head slightly. She's exhausted, and if the look of concern on Beca's face is any indication, it's starting to show. "You okay?"

Chloe shrugs, and Beca tugs her headphones down so that they hang around her neck, "C'mere."

The blonde moves so that she's lying down next to Beca, and the latter lifts her arm for Chloe to settle against her side.

"What are you working on?" Chloe asks as she rests her head on Beca's shoulder.

"Just a few mixes," the DJ replies. "I still enjoy making some just for my own entertainment in my free time. Makes me feel like I'm still in a freshman at Barden. Although my roommate right now is much more pleasant to live with than the one back then."

"Poor Kimmy Jin," Chloe says, even though she's smiling.

"I was expecting a thank you for my compliment but okay," Beca teases, and Chloe glares at her playfully. "I need to finish this, but you can stay here, if you want? I'll turn the lights off soon."

Chloe nods, "Okay."

She moves away a little bit for Beca to slip her headphones back on (just the right side covering her ear), and settles back against her. Her eyes follow the screen for a while, the green waves of the track gently lulling her to sleep. Or maybe it's Beca's fingers moving in a soothing pattern across her back. Either way, she soon closes her eyes and her body eventually lets go.

She wakes up a few hours later though, struggling for breath as she shoots up in bed, her own hands around her neck, as if trying to pry away the invisible grip that prevents the oxygen from reaching her lungs.

She registers a voice behind her, but it doesn't stop the panic attack that traps her mind into darkness.

Gentle hands grip her forearms and pull the tight hold away from her neck, before the person snakes her arms around Chloe lightly as the blonde rocks back and forth, her shoulders rising and dropping in rhythm with her ragged breaths. When the person speaks, Chloe recognizes Beca's voice and it slowly comes back to her that she's on the other side of the country, out of Greg's reach.

"It's okay, you're okay," Beca whispers into her ear, her hand running up and down Chloe's back. "It was just a nightmare."

Chloe calms down after a few minutes, and she feels Beca guiding her to lie back down. The brunette hovers over her slightly, her thumbs brushing Chloe's tears away. She eventually rests on her side, facing Chloe.

"Can you," Chloe clears the fogginess in her throat, "Can you sing something?"

Beca nods, and brushes a strand of Chloe's hair away from her eyes, her fingertips lingering on her healing cheekbone. Then, her soft voice fills the room and with each lyric, Chloe's heartrate slows down until it reaches a normal rhythm.

* * *

Chloe wakes up the next morning and briefly wonders where she is after opening her eyes. The sheets she's wrapped in smell like Beca and Chloe sighs, laying there for a while until her muscles feel ready to carry her downstairs. When she reaches the kitchen, she finds Beca sitting at the island, already working on her computer. Chloe didn't remember her being so hardworking.

"Morning," the brunette greets with a soft smile. Chloe reciprocates the greeting as she moves to the coffee pot to pour herself a cup. "I was about to leave for the studio, but I wanted to see you before I left, make sure you were okay after last night?"

"I'm fine," Chloe replies, cradling the mug in her hands, leaning back against the counter behind her. "Sorry for waking you up in the middle of the night. I'll sleep in my own bed tonight."

"No need to apologize," Beca's phone chimes and whatever was sent to her makes her smile. She closes her laptop and stands, grabbing her travel mug from a cupboard above the sink. She moves to the coffee pot, hand squeezing Chloe's shoulder on the way, and Chloe tries to ignore the goosebumps rippling along the trail of Beca's fingers down her back as she lets go. "You shouldn't have to sleep alone with those nightmares. My door's always open if that means you get to sleep better."

Chloe doesn't reply anything to that, but she feels her whole body warming up with Beca's thoughtfulness. The doorbell rings as she's about to take a sip of her coffee.

"Would you mind getting that?" Beca asks as she pours the rest of the coffee pot into her travel mug. "It's probably the mailman."

Chloe nods and gets to her feet, slightly self-conscious about still being in her sleep attire. She unbolts the door and swings it open, not able to suppress a gasp upon seeing who stands on the other side.

"Mom?!"

Before she can say anything else, she's engulfed in a hug that cuts her breathing short. The sound that leaves her mouth is a combination of a laugh and a sob as she finally comes to her senses and hugs her mother back.

"What are you doing here?!" Chloe asks, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. She knows tears are about to run down her cheeks but she doesn't give a damn; it's been a long time since she's last cried happy tears.

Chloe hasn't seen her mother in about three years and a half. The last time they saw each other was at Chloe's wedding which was held in New York.

"Oh sweetie," Helen Beale cups her daughter's cheek, her thumb catching the bead rolling down Chloe's freckled skin. "Beca called me from the hospital about a week ago. I had to arrange some things to be able to get some leave, otherwise I would have been here much sooner."

Chloe lets out another sob and she looks over her shoulder to find Beca standing awkwardly in the space between the living room and the main room, about fifteen feet away from the pair.

"Hi Mrs. Beale," she greets the older women with a wave as she hesitantly walks to them, as if afraid of interrupting their mother-daughter reunion. She lets out a squeak when Helen hugs her too, albeit for a shorter time, and Chloe can't help but laugh at Beca's scared expression.

This is the first time Beca meets her mother -that Chloe knows of- and the fact that Helen immediately goes for the hug stirs up a funny feeling in Chloe's stomach. Her mother has always claimed she had a natural intuition when it came to the people Chloe's brought home for her parents to meet, friends or boyfriends. And if she hugged them, it meant that she liked them. Helen Beale is the kindest person Chloe knows, but she can turn into a tiger sabre if she senses that someone has bad intentions regarding her daughter.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Beca," Her mother says when she pulls away, grasping Beca's good hand in hers, "And please, call me Helen."

Beca nods and smiles, before picking up her bag where she set it down to be able to return the hug. "I have to go to work, but I thought maybe the three of us could go eat somewhere tonight?"

"Sure," Chloe says as Beca walks past her to stand by the door, which has been left open with all the commotion.

"Alright, call me if you need anything. I'm catching a ride with Stace, so feel free to use my car if you wanna go anywhere. The keys are over there."

She heaves Helen's abandoned suitcase from the last step and into the house and flashes Chloe a smile before she closes the door on her way out. Chloe stares at the shut door for a while, before she turns to her mother.

"I'll be right back, mom."

And with that, she opens the door and runs barefoot -as best as she can manage given her damaged ribs- down the large concrete steps, calling Beca's name. When Beca turns around, Chloe collides into her with a bit more force than she intended to, which causes Beca to stumble a few steps back with a grunt.

"Damn, what is it with all the Beale women wanting to hug me?" Beca's tone is teasing and Chloe laughs, pulling away and cupping Beca's jaw. She's pretty sure she hears the brunette's breathing hitch as she leans in to peck her cheek.

"Thank you." She whispers, knowing she doesn't have to elaborate on what she's thanking Beca for.

"You're welcome," Beca squeezes Chloe's wrist lightly, which makes Chloe realize she's still has her hand on Beca's face. She drops it and looks down at her bare feet sheepishly. "Enjoy your day with your mom."

As she climbs the steps back up, the fire in Chloe's side tells her she's had enough hugs for today and can't take much more pressure anymore. But what better way to start the day off than by showing affection to the two people she loves the most?

* * *

"I wish you had called me."

Chloe has rarely witnessed her mother dazed. She's always had a strong opinion about everything, and is scarcely ever rendered speechless. But after sitting down with Chloe and having her tell bit by bit what has happened to her, she doesn't seem to know what to say except that.

"I don't really know how it happened, mom," Chloe starts, avoiding her mother's gaze. She still feels ashamed. "He was so sweet and loving at the beginning and… after we got married, he just changed and little by little stirred me away from you and dad and each of my friends. He made me feel like he was the only person that mattered and I fell into his spell." Chloe picks at a loose thread from the cushion she's holding in her lap. "It broke at one point but it was too late to try and mend what had been torn between you and I, or my friends." She manages to pull her eyes up until they meet her mother's. "I'm so sorry, mom."

"It's not your fault," Helen assures her, scooting closer to her daughter on the couch. Chloe's heard that countless time in the last week, but it's taking some time for her brain to agree with it. "He's the bad person in the story, not you. _You_ , are the kindest and the most loving person I know. I wish I had insisted more when you didn't return my calls. I should have figured something was wrong, it wasn't like you to not give any news."

"Please don't blame yourself," Chloe murmurs, setting her head on Helen's shoulder and draping an arm over her midsection in a side hug. "I love you, mom."

Chloe feels a kiss on her hair as her mother wraps an arm around her shoulders. "I love you, too baby."

All the emotion, good or bad, takes a toll on Chloe's body and she soon drifts off to sleep. She wakes to a familiar scent tickling her nostrils. It takes her a few seconds to place what it is, before a smile pulls at the corners of her mouth; it's her mom's famous shrimp casserole.

She stretches and stands up before joining her mother in the kitchen. "I feel like I'm coming home for Spring Break."

Helen laughs and looks over her shoulder. "It's been a while since I've made this. I never cook it if you're not around. Beca didn't have any shrimp so I went down to the store while you were asleep."

Chloe kisses her mom's cheek on her way to grab two plates out of the cupboard and sets them on the kitchen island.

"She's a very sweet girl."

"Mmm," Chloe hums in approval, already knowing what her mom is bound to say next.

"Is she the one you were attracted to at Barden?"

Chloes flushes a deep shade of red and sets the cutlery down a little bit clumsily. She can't even recall telling her mom about her crush on Beca back when she attended Barden. Then again, she was pretty much an open book about her love life with her mom. Well, she obviously didn't tell her about the one-night-stands or her friends with benefits arrangement with Tom, but she always told her mom whenever she liked someone at one point or another.

"Um, yeah."

"I think she _likes_ you."

Chloe chokes on her own saliva. "Mom…" Even though her mother's back is to her, Chloe can tell she's smirking.

But Helen ignores her as she stirs the contents in the pot in front of her. "I mean, who goes all the way as to fly someone's mom in."

"What?" Chloe interrupts, head whipping to the side and eyes widening. "She _flew_ you _in_?"

"She did, yes." Helen sighs and turns around. She wipes her hand with the towel sitting beside her on the counter and crosses her arms over her chest. "Your dad and I have been a little short on money since he stopped working because of his health issues, and I couldn't really afford a plane ticket to get here, even if I desperately wanted to. So I told Beca I would take the bus, but she wasn't having any of it and said she would pay for my plane ticket. I promised I would pay her back, but still."

Chloe's mouth falls open as she shakes her head slightly. Beca's certainly going beyond expectations to help Chloe past the things she's been through. Guilt sets in her stomach for ever doubting it or refusing Beca's help for fear of being let down. "I can't believe her."

"Do you still like her?"

"Mom, please stop." Chloe snaps, shooting her mother a look. "My life has just done a 180° turn in the last ten days. I left my husband, and I'm living on the other side of the country without any job. I need some time to adjust and I can't really focus on what I feel right now."

"I'm sorry honey, you're right," she turns back to the stove and Chloe is about to sigh in relief when her mother sing-songs, "But you're not denying it."

* * *

Chloe's mom sticks around for five days, during which Chloe starts to feel better and better, physically and emotionally. Stacie recommended her to a colleague of hers, stating that it might be best she consulted someone else than herself for professional matters because it was delicate to be someone's friend and therapist at the same time.

Chloe has been meeting with this woman twice a week and she feels a bit lighter after each session.

"How are we doing today Chloe?" The older woman named Elizabeth, who's presumably in her mid-forties, asks Chloe once she's situated herself on the couch facing her chair.

"I'm okay. My mom left today, and it was hard to see her go."

"Did her being here make you more comfortable? Make you feel more at home, maybe?"

Chloe shrugs, tucking her hands between her crossed legs. "No, not really. I mean, Beca makes me feel at home already. We've lived together in college so we know each other's habits well and we're comfortable around one another. I just… I hadn't seen my mom in close to four years and I had missed her a lot."

"Did you make any plans to see each other soon?"

Chloe nods, "I might go visit in a few weeks."

"That's good. Family support is always a good thing." Elizabeth dotes down a few things and focuses back on Chloe. "Do you still have trouble sleeping?"

"I don't have trouble falling asleep anymore, but I still have nightmares every night."

Elizabeth tilts her head, "Is it the same nightmare each time?"

"Yeah," Chloe takes a deep breath, "I wake up to the sensation that someone is strangling me. That _he_ is strangling me. I see his shadow getting closer and closer and hear his footsteps getting louder and louder. It all goes very slow, and then his hands are squeezing my neck and I can't _breathe._ That's when I wake up. Beca tells me it turns into a panic attack afterwards and it takes me a few minutes to calm down." Chloe pauses as she fiddles with her fingers. "Honestly, I only remember the nightmares. I don't remember the panic attacks, it's all blurry, like I black out."

"It's possible that you brain blocks out that kind of emotion, hence why you don't remember anything."

The space between Chloe's eyebrows scrunches up as she fights tears, "I just want him out of my head. I can still hear his voice and feel his touch and it _suffocates_ me."

"Chloe," Elizabeth's calm voice takes her emotions down a notch. "You are okay. He's not here to hurt you anymore."

It takes a few seconds, but Chloe manages to calm down and exhales through her mouth. "How long until I'm finally rid of him?"

"You need to tell your mind and body that they are not in danger anymore. This can be done by engaging in activities that he forbade you to do. Is there anything that comes to mind?"

"He didn't like that I was on social media. Or that I partied without him. Or went out with my friends."

"Alright, then you can do all those things. Get a facebook account and reconnect with your friends and family. I think it can help you free yourself to do all the things you couldn't do because of him. Doing physical activity can help too; yoga, dancing, running." Chloe nods, "And regarding your panic attacks, how do you usually calm down? Maybe you don't remember? You've mentioned that Beca is there when you have one of those?"

"Um, yeah, I sleep in her bed most nights," Every night, if Chloe's completely honest. "That's the only way I can fall asleep. She grounds me, sort of. If I'm not next to her, I let my thoughts eat me up and I can't turn my brain off." Chloe wipes a lone tear away with the pad of her thumb, "I feel safe when I'm around her, like I can finally rest properly without being afraid of closing my eyes." She lets out a humorless chuckle, "I know it sounds silly and childish."

Elizabeth shakes her head, "On the contrary, it's important that you have someone you can trust. And it seems like you've found right person to turn to."

Chloe feels that 'right' is an understatement. She would be keener on using the words 'amazing', 'incredible' or 'downright perfect'.

* * *

"Would you look at that, I have a facebook invite from a Chloe Beale," Beca says, her tone dripping with playfulness as she looks at her phone after it chimed. "My, my, the popular girl wants to be facebook friends with the socially awkward loner."

Like most nights after dinner, the two women spend the rest of the evening on the couch, either reading, working or watching TV. While Beca usually sits on the end of the couch to read a book, Chloe lies down on the other end, and her feet often end up in Beca's lap.

Chloe chuckles, looking at Beca over her phone. She's been adding every person she could come up with for the last half an hour. "Well, I figured since we're living together, we should probably be Facebook buddies."

"Mmm," Beca hums, a smug smile quirking at her lips. She meets Chloe's eyes briefly, before she focuses back on her book, placing her phone next to her on the couch. "I'll think about it."

Chloe gasps, and her jaws drops. Beca's smirk widens, and Chloe can see she's struggling to keep her attention solely on her book.

"Beca!" She slides her feet off Beca's lap and lifts her upper body off the couch so that she's kneeling perpendicular to Beca. She plucks the book from the brunette's hand, throwing it over her shoulder, and Beca looks annoyed for a second not to have been able to see what page she was at, before she raises an eyebrow, her smugness back full force.

The first thought on Chloe's mind is that she wants to wipe that damn smirk off with a kiss. She feels her face getting hotter by the second when she realizes what that implies.

Chloe bites her own lip and moves so that she's straddling Beca's thighs, and she hears her short intake of breath. Chloe briefly registers that she might be toying with platonic boundaries, but she can't backtrack now. She presses her hands to Beca's shoulders to pine her in place.

"Becaaa," she whines, "Accept my friend request right now."

Beca's smile is about to split her face, and her eyes leave Chloe to rest on her lips, putting Chloe's heartbeat on hold. It's brief, and over when Beca rolls her eyes and sighs exaggeratedly. "Fine."

Chloe nods in satisfaction but doesn't move, instead watching Beca grab her phone and tap on her screen a few times. Then, she turns the device over and shows the confirmation to Chloe.

Chloe beams, "Yay!"

The blonde moves off Beca instantly and rejoins her spot on the couch, her legs bent at the knees so that her feet are not bugging Beca. The brunette leans over to grab her book, and Chloe tries not to smile too widely when Beca picks up her feet to place them back on her lap, draping the hand that's not holding the novel across Chloe's ankles.

"What made you get a Facebook account again?"

They had been silent for a couple minutes and Chloe had focused her attention to her own book. She lowers it to find Beca looking at her.

"Dr. Mullen told me that in order to try and move past Greg's control I should do the things he didn't let me do. Such as having a Facebook account."

Beca frowns, "Were there… many other things that you couldn't do?" Her voice is hesitant, as if she's scared of asking the question but she's too curious no to. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer it if it's too painful."

"No," Chloe shakes her head, "It's fine." She closes her book and straightens once more, this time tucking her feet underneath her, before sitting back on her heels, keeping some distance from the brunette. Beca moves so that she's sat indian style across from Chloe. "It, uh, it depended on his mood, most of the time. Like I said to the detective, I was rarely allowed to party on my own if I asked him, or hang out with friends. It started because he had jealousy issues, and I didn't realize it until it blew out of proportion and I wasn't allowed to leave the house on my own except to go to work or grocery shopping."

Beca takes a deep breath, "So the few times you spent with me, he wasn't aware?"

"He spent a lot of time at work."

Beca picks at a loose thread on Chloe's sweatpants, "Probably not the time we went out?"

"No." Chloe looks down at her hands and starts to pick at her fingernails, "He, uh, he wasn't happy."

Chloe knows she's saying too much or not enough, but Beca seems to get what she implies by that and doesn't push any further.

"I'm sorry."

Chloe shrugs, and feels a tear roll down her cheeks. She hates it; not being able to control her freaking emotions whenever she talks about him. She knows it will take time, but she hates feeling so vulnerable.

"S'not your fault, Bec."

Beca sighs and slips her hand into Chloe's. "I know, I know," she tilts her head and gives Chloe a small smile. "But it doesn't take away the fact that I'm sorry this happened to you. You didn't deserve what he put you through. Nobody deserves that. I wish I could have done more than clock him in the face to make him feel just a little bit of the pain he inflicted you."

Chloe smiles in gratitude, "My knight in shining armor."

Beca scoffs and rolls her eyes yet again, "I prefer the term 'badass'."

Chloe laughs a full laugh and Beca seems to glow just from hearing it. She sobers up, and her eyes are shining as she squeezes Beca's hand. "Alright then. And I don't know if you're aware, but you've done a lot more than just punching him. You are the reason I'm out of his claws. Who knows where I'd be if it weren't for your stubbornness and devotion." Chloe pauses and links her fingers through Beca's. "I might not have said it yet but I hope you know how thankful I am, Beca."

"I know." Beca reassures her, her other hand coming to rest on Chloe's knee.

"And I'm sorry if it takes some time to be back to my old-self."

"It's been ten days, Chlo. I wasn't expecting you to get better overnight. And I'm not worried," Beca's face grows more serious, eyes searching Chloe's and holding her gaze, "You'll come back from this. You're already such a strong and resilient person. But I think that sometimes, all the shit that someone goes through can only make them stronger. I guess that, when we suffer, we survive."

Chloe lowers her head, but Beca's finger tilt her chin up, "You're like a Phoenix, Chloe. All that pain bottled inside of you will at some point become the ashes from which you'll strive."

Chloe's eyes are fastened on Beca as she allows the words to sink in. She can feel Beca's faith in her seep through her body and registers the low burning of something powerful settle in the pit of her stomach. She doesn't know how she's managed to have such an incredible person in her life, or what she did to deserve her. The only thing Chloe is now certain of is that, eventually, she will rise from the dust of her past to rekindle the spark of her future and start her redemption.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. :)

I'm about five chapters ahead of this and I'm really excited for you to read what's coming next.


	12. Blast From the Past

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter, I appreciate your words. So I really wanted to post this today, but I've just come home after a five-hour drive and am exhausted, so I didn't proofread it. Sorry if there are any mistakes. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _March_

"Chlo! We're gonna be late!" Beca shouts up the stairs as she flings her messenger bag over her shoulder. Beca offered Chloe to come with her to work today. Emily's album was a hit, and she wants to come back to the studio to record an acoustic version of some songs.

"I'll be right down!"

They have been living together for four weeks, and while Chloe gets better each day, so does Beca at hiding her feelings for the blonde, which have gradually grown over the course of the month.

Cuddling with Chloe every day certainly doesn't help, nor does occasionally sleeping in the same bed. Beca's noticed that she's become much more of a light sleeper the last few weeks, constantly worried that she might not hear Chloe's distress.

If Chloe has gotten better, she still has nightmares, and Beca has to barge into her room to calm her down, and usually spends the rest of the night with her. Not because Chloe asks her to, but because she's become fond of having the blonde beside her.

Really, she's doing all the right things to temper her feelings.

Chloe bounces down the stairs and grabs her jacket from the hook, before shooting Beca a smile as she follows her through the front door.

They get to the studio, and Beca shows Chloe around the recording lot. They bump into Adam Levine, whose recording label is in the building next to Beca's studio. She can tell Chloe's trying very hard not to go into full fangirl mode, and finds it quite endearing, the way she wrings her hands and chews on her bottom lip. She can also tell Adam is hitting on Chloe, and even though Chloe's not being very receptive to it, Beca feels her blood boil. She glares at Adam, hoping that it subtly tells him that she's got dibs on Chloe. He shoots Beca a wink over his lowered sunglasses before he departs, and Beca almost growls.

"You could have told me you were friends with Adam Levine," Chloe mutters to her when they walk to the door.

"We're not _friends_ per say," Beca clarifies, "We just hang at parties once in a while."

Chloe only hums in reply and follows Beca up the stairs. She shows her office, that she barely uses, preferring to work directly in her studio or at home than here.

There's a shrill sound coming from the end of the hall, and Beca briefly wonders if an animal is being tortured, but then she notices it's only Emily squealing while she rushes towards Chloe. The younger girl sweeps Chloe into a hug and Chloe lets out a carefree laugh, and the sound doesn't fail in making Beca's lips tug upwards into a smile.

"Oh my God," Chloe says as she pulls away, keeping Emily at arm length. "You're not a baby anymore."

Beca leaves the two of them alone to catch up while sets up the equipment. She hears Chloe tell Emily how she loves her album and can't wait to hear the acoustic version. The guitarist shows up a minute later, and Beca straightens up, catching a sight of the ticking hour on the clock.

"Alright guys, let's get to work," She's back to business mode and ushers everyone in.

Chloe sits next to her on one side of the glass while Emily and the guitarist set up their gear in the booth. Beca fiddles with a few knobs while Emily warms up, and tries not to blush when she notices Chloe watching her intently.

"What?" she asks after a while, feeling slightly self-conscious. Chloe has her lower lip pulled in by her teeth and Beca can't help but stare. There's a familiar pull in the pit of her stomach as she locks eyes with Chloe.

"I've just realized I've never seen you work in a studio before," She breaks her gaze and leans back into the chair, before her eyes flicker back to meet Beca's. "It's hot."

 _Sweet Jesus._

Beca feels the temperature rise the second the words are out of Chloe's mouth. Her face feels warm, and soon the heat runs out of space and travels down to her neck and chest as she shifts in her chair uncomfortably. She gulps and tries to focus back on plugging her computer to the right cable, though her shaking hands make the task a lot harder than it should be.

"Em, you ready?" Beca speaks into the microphone, glad for the distraction, and Emily gives her the thumbs up, before situating herself behind the recording mic, placing the large headphones over her ears. She waits for the first few chords before launching into the first verse.

It takes about two hours to get the songs in, and Beca's managed to tame her urges to kiss Chloe after the first song. The blonde goes out for a bit to get them all some lunch, and Beca prays Chloe doesn't find Adam on her path and accept his number. She isn't dumb, she knows Chloe's hot, and she better claim her stake before anyone else does it before her. She's just lacking the courage to do so, the bells in her head telling her it might be too soon to make a move.

"You wanna get in there?" Beca asks Chloe after the guitarist departs, leaving just the two women and Emily in the studio.

Chloe's eyes widen when she realizes Beca's talking about the recording booth. "Can I?"

Beca rolls her eyes and stands, taking Chloe's hand in hers to lead her to the smaller room. "Piano?"

Chloe nods and sits down on the bench, running her fingers on the keys of the grand piano standing in the middle of the small space. Beca moves around to plug a few things in the correct places and pivots the microphone above the instrument to adjust it to Chloe's level.

She comes to a stop behind Chloe and sets her hands on the blonde's shoulders. "All good?"

Chloe plays a few keys, and nods, "Yeah."

Beca closes the door on her way out, and sits beside Emily in front of the control board. She gives Chloe the thumbs up and watches as she closes her eyes, her fingers flowing over the keys with the first few notes.

It's been long since she's heard Chloe's singing voice live. About five years. And it never fails to bring that funny feeling in her belly, that familiar chill down her spine, or that spark in her fingertips. She smiles widely as Chloe's voice floats through the studio and it takes her until well into the first verse to realize she's covering _Cosmic Love_ from Florence + The Machine.

After performing together for four years, Beca prides herself in thinking that she knows Chloe's voice like the back of her hand. And yet, she's surprised by the emotion in the blonde's voice that she's never witnessed before. She guesses it has to do with all the shit life threw at her the last few years; her voice is a bit rawer than before and it makes Chloe sound hauntingly beautiful.

The rhythm of the piano slows down, along with Beca's breathing as she watches Chloe sing the last notes. She feels her insides flood with aching love when Chloe looks up, and their eyes lock through the glass. Seconds tick by, and it's only when Beca hears a voice next to her that she breaks her bond with Chloe.

"I feel like I've just witnessed something really intimate."

"Shit!" Beca jumps, a hand over her heart as she stares at Emily with slightly wide eyes, "I forgot you were here."

Emily laughs awkwardly and Beca realizes the younger woman is blushing, "Huh, you don't say." She eyes Beca, then Chloe, "I think that's my cue to leave." She stands, grabs her bag and shouts a "See ya later Chloe!" with a smile, before leaving the studio.

They spend the rest of the afternoon goofing around in the studio, singing the songs they sang during their time at Barden, and when Chloe breaks into an impromptu dancing session during Beca's rendition of "No Diggity", the brunette's legs feel wobbly, her eyes not able to resist drifting down to Chloe's swaying hips.

"Hey Bec?" Chloe grabs Beca's attention as they walk towards her car. Darkness has fallen over the city while they were in the studio, and it got slightly chillier outside.

"Yeah?" Beca prompts as she rummages through her bag for her car keys. She grasps them and adjusts the sling so that her bag sits higher on her shoulder.

"I don't know when I'll be able to start to pay rent. I've started to look for a job but-"

Beca raises an eyebrow and gives Chloe an amused look. "Chlo, I own the house, so there's no rent to pay."

Chloe avoids Beca's eyes, focusing on her own hands as she toys with the ring on her middle finger, her step faltering. Beca slows down to meet her pace until they come to a stop in front of the brunette's Audi. "Right. But still, I can chip in for electricity and water and groceries. And if I get a job maybe I can move into my own place, in LA."

Beca's mouth gapes open, her eyes blinking twice in slow succession, "You want to move out?"

Chloe bites down on her bottom lip, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, not particularly, no, but you might want your own house back to yourself at some point, right? I've been imposing enough as it is."

Beca looks down to her shuffling feet, before she shrugs, "Well, I like living with you."

The smile Chloe gives her in response is worth a thousand words. "Good, I was hoping you'd say that 'cause I like living with you, too."

Beca shakes her head, not able to reign in her grin any longer. That girl is going to be the death of her.

"Hey Chlo?" Beca asks, once they're in the car and headed home. The blonde turns and raises an eyebrow. "I've been thinking," She makes sure the road is clear before glancing at Chloe, "I wanna do something different for my next project, maybe something more acoustic-y."

"That's a great idea," Chloe assures her with a smile, eyes lit with curiosity.

"Yeah, well I wrote a few songs already, but I was wondering if you'd like to sing a duet with me."

Chloe's eyes grow so comically wide that Beca stifles a laugh. "For the album?"

Beca nods, her eyes locked on the red light, waiting for it to turn green. "Yeah. You were amazing today in the studio and I thought that since people love both our voices together in the Bulletproof/Titanium mix, it's bound to be a hit." As an afterthought, she adds, "And I guess I like working with you."

Beca can't see much in the darkness, but she thinks Chloe's eyes get slightly misty as she says, "Today was pretty amazing. And yeah, I'd love to do a duet with you."

 _April_

Beca is glad to step through her front door. She has had the longest day in the studio with a very demanding artist and her head is killing her from the lack of rest. The last few weeks have been hectic, and she feels like she has barely seen Chloe. She sets her purse on the chest by the door, steps off her shoes and shrugs off her jacket, tossing it on the back of the couch rather than taking the time to hang it.

She's so exhausted that she starts wondering if she can eat while showering and then crawl to bed.

Beca strolls into the main room and finds Chloe stirring something that's cooking on the stove.

"Hi!" the older woman calls out chirpily as she fiddles with the cooking timer. She sets it on the counter and finally turns to Beca. "Long day? I was wondering when you'd get home. Dinner's about to be done so, nice timing."

Beca does a double-take, her jaw dropping, feet suddenly rooted to the floor.

"Beca?" Chloe questions worriedly, brows furrowing in concern. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

 _You could say that._

"Y-your hair," Beca stutters out, finally blinking.

"Oh yeah," Chloe replies nonchalantly, running her fingers through her now shoulder-length red hair. It's done in waves and perhaps a shade lighter than Beca remembered it to be. "I thought it was time I got rid of the blonde."

Beca swallows, her mind going blank as it plays the memories of their night together at Barden on a loop. Her skin tingles as she recalls every kiss and stroke. She's suddenly feeling very turned on and not tired at all. "L-looks great."

Chloe is still eyeing Beca suspiciously, but then she seems to let it drop. "Thanks. Want some wine?"

She'd rather have tequila. She'd like to pour herself a shot, trace a trail from Chloe's cleavage to her neck with her tongue, put some salt on it, lick it clean, throw that shot back and pluck the lemon from Chloe's mouth, stealing a ki-

Beca's eyes widen at her own thoughts, which have kicked her arousal up to the ceiling, "Wine would be _fantastic_." Or a cold shower. Or a bucket of icy water over the head.

She takes a seat at the table and watches as Chloe swiftly moves around the kitchen to retrieve what she needs. Beca smiles despite herself; she has been grumpy the whole ride home, but seeing Chloe so comfortable in her own house is an instant mood-changer.

"You'll never guess who I ran into today while buying groceries," Chloe starts as she opens the fridge, taking out the bottle of white wine. She pours Beca a glass and sets it in front of her.

Beca accepts it gratefully and brings the glass to her lips. "Who?"

"Tom."

Beca almost chokes on her sip and she sputters, coughing until her airways are more or less cleared.

There's that icy water over the head.

"Are you okay?" Chloe asks in concern, rounding the kitchen island to set her hand on Beca's shoulder.

Beca ignores Chloe's question, "Tom from Barden? Your ex-boyfriend?" Her voice sounds like she's smoked a pack, her throat burning from having the liquid go down the wrong pipe, and when Chloe nods, the burning sensation spreads to her chest, trapping her heart in hazy smoke.

"Well, we were never really together. We were just… friends with benefits." She says it as if the slight alteration made it much more bearable for Beca.

Forget about dinner, tequila and kissing Chloe. The only thing Beca now wants to do is go to bed.

Go to bed, and roll herself into a ball.

Beca keeps herself from making a face. "Are you," she pauses and swallows, desperate to be rid of the acid taste in her mouth. "Are you going to see him again?"

"Well, we exchanged numbers, so I guess so," Chloe says with a tone that's so innocent that it makes Beca want to scream. "I mean, I don't know many people out here, except for you, Stacie, Aubrey and Jesse. And I'm always in your personal space so I think it might be nice for us both if I hung out with other people from time to time."

And cry herself to sleep.

"Right," Beca grits out, teeth squeaking as they rub together. "Whatever floats your boat."

She gulps down her glass of wine and sets it down on the countertop, perhaps a bit too harshly, and she's surprised it doesn't break. She stands up hastily, the sudden movement making her slightly dizzy. "I'm uh-I'm not very hungry, all the sudden, I think I'm gonna go straight to bed."

She spins on her heels before Chloe can utter another word and wishes dearly that the redhead leaves her be. She's about to get to her room, the tears in her eyes threatening to fall when Chloe's voice stops her.

"Beca," The voice is close, meaning Chloe has followed her up the stairs and down the hall without Beca noticing over the ringing in her ears. "Wait."

Beca isn't asking for much. She just wants Chloe to leave her alone so that she can cry in peace.

Beca doesn't turn around, ashamed of how she is reacting. She ducks her head, her hair falling like a curtain around her face. She feels Chloe get closer, until her front is almost against Beca's back, but not quite. The proximity causes Beca's heartrate to pick up until it pounds in her head. She's brought back to that moment about a month ago when they were pretty much in the same spot, and Chloe was still in the grip of that monster. They have come so far, yet, Beca feels as though she's now backtracking. She knows deep down that there's no coming back from this; if Chloe finds someone that isn't her, Beca's soul will be too beaten up to recover.

She takes a deep breath, turns around, and meets Chloe's eyes, which soften instantly and make Beca even more insecure.

"God, I'm such an idiot," Beca mumbles, reaching up to swipe a thumb beneath her eyes. "I don't even know why I'm crying."

"I'm sorry," Chloe murmurs, running her hands over Beca's arms back and forth, before taking her hands. "It came out wrong. I didn't mean I wanted to stop hanging out with you. That will _never_ happen."

Beca can feel herself breathing a bit more easily and some of the tension lifts from her shoulders.

"I just… I've been here 24/7 and I'd understand if you need your alone time. Lately I've started to realize what it must have been like for you the past two months; I feel like I have overstepped your boundaries and invaded your personal space." Beca squeezes Chloe's hands, to wordlessly indicate her that it isn't the case, "When I ran into Tom today and he asked me if I wanted to get a coffee, I accepted… because I thought you could use the space." Chloe pauses and she seems to hesitate for a beat, "And also because it felt nice to talk to a friend that doesn't walk on eggshells around me like you all do."

Beca recoils as if burned, "We don't-"

Chloe smiles and runs her thumb over Beca's knuckles, "You do." There's a stretch of silence and while Beca wants to contradict her, she patiently waits for Chloe to find the right words. "And I understand why. But I've been feeling better for a few weeks now, Beca. I don't jump when something crashes on the floor, I don't recoil when someone raises their hand and I can finally go outside without having panic attacks. And Tom, well, he doesn't know what happened to me, and it's refreshing to have someone not look at me like I might break any minute." Chloe inhales sharply, and Beca is a little bit wary as to what she's about to say next. " _However_ , Tom is just a friend, and he will remain that way."

There's a small part of Beca's brain that wonders why Chloe needed to clarify that. But before it can jump to conclusion about possible untold feelings, Chloe's speaking again.

"You, are my _best_ friend, and are so important to me. But I need you, if you can, to act normal around me. I'm starting to feel like the old Chloe again, and I think it will definitely help if you treat me like the old Chloe, too."

Beca ponders Chloe's words for a moment, suddenly feeling rather ashamed of her childish attitude regarding Tom. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was acting that way." She admits after a beat. "I'll try to act normal around you from now on. I just hope you know that means I'll be grumpy and snap at you from time to time."

Chloe rolls her eyes good-naturedly and lets out an exaggerated sigh. "Finally."

She lets go of Beca's hands to wrap her a in a hug, and Beca exhales, burying her face in Chloe's neck.

"I'm so glad you're doing better," Beca adds when she pulls away. Chloe's arms remain looped around her waist though. Beca twirls her fingers around a lock of Chloe's hair. "And I'm glad you're a redhead again. Never liked the blonde on you."

Chloe's eyes sparkle, and Beca momentarily gets lost counting every shade of blue in her gaze, "I knew it."

"Does that mean you dyed it back for me?" Beca teases with an arched eyebrow, and yelps when Chloe pinches her waist.

"Don't get ahead of yourself there, Mitchell."

Beca's eyes narrow, a cheeky smile stretching her mouth, the thrill of their banter sending multiple butterflies to her belly. "Mmm. Not denying it, I see."

"Whatever," Chloe mumbles, blush spreading over her cheeks as she sets her eyes anywhere but on Beca. Beca feels her pulse quicken, and tiny bolts of lightning travel to her fingertips, craving to touch Chloe. She is quite impressed with how the two of them go from arguing to flirting (or whatever it is they are doing right now) in a matter of seconds. "Still wanna go to bed without eating dinner?"

"Depends, is what you made edible?"

Chloe sticks her tongue at her and turns to walk away, shouting an "Ungrateful bitch," at Beca over her shoulder. Beca's laughs follow her, and it seems as if all is right in the world again.

* * *

"So, how are you coping with all the sexual tension going on between you two?" Stacie asks as she comes up to Beca. The brunette has been nursing a beer by herself in the kitchen while watching Chloe and Aubrey goofing around in the dining room to some song from the 80's that Beca can't recall the title for.

Beca groans and sends her most menacing glare toward Stacie.

The tall brunette laughs, unimpressed, "That well, huh?"

"I don't even know why I keep up with you," Beca grumbles, leaning back against the counter in her kitchen, "You're a pain in my ass, Conrad."

"Oh please," Stacie scoffs, wrapping an arm around Beca and squeezing her enough for the shorter the woman to be squished against her body (read: oversized boobs). "You'd be bored without me."

Beca rolls her eyes, pushing away from Stacie and brushing herself off as if she's touched something contagious. She's still not a fan of unnecessary physical contact. Well, except when the other person is named Chloe and she gets all puppy-eyed. "I only keep you around because of Bella."

Stacie smiles at the mention of her daughter, and ruffles Beca's hair. "Aw, you're too cute."

Beca scoffs, swatting Stacie's hand away before attempting to fix her hair. "I'm not _cute_."

Stacie barks out a laugh and now she's the one rolling her eyes. "Sure. Seriously though, how are you doing?"

"She's slowly killing me." Beca replies with a groan and she takes a large swig from her bottle. "I flirt, and she flirts back, and there's been plenty of occasions where I could have kissed her, but I can't find the courage to do it." She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip, "That's not me, I don't chicken out when it comes to girls. I feel like I have no game anymore."

Stacie sighs, "Maybe it doesn't have anything to do with your game but more with the fact that she's Chloe, and you're scared she might run away?"

Beca lets out a breath in frustration, "I hate it when you go all therapist on me. Even more so when you're right." She begins to pick at the label of her bottle, finding the motion a good distraction from the turmoil of mixed emotions setting off in her stomach. "I just wish she'd make the first move. If she does feels the same way, of course."

"Oh my God, you guys are on a loop!" Stacie says with an incredulous look as she slaps her thighs in frustration. Beca is slightly frightened by the outburst, and her eyes flit over to where Chloe is still dancing to make sure the redhead hasn't noticed. "I feel like we're back in college and neither of you dares to make a move because you're afraid the other doesn't feel the same way. News flash, Beca: Chloe's so into you that I feel sexually frustrated just watching her look at you."

Beca wrinkles her nose, "That's kind of disturbing." Then again, it's _Stacie_.

"Make a move, before anyone else does," Stacie says, pushing off the counter, "Chloe's a catch. You might regret it soon if you don't do anything about it."

When everyone leaves, Chloe helps Beca clean up the place a little bit. Chloe is making light conversation but Beca can't seem to register what she's saying. The only words playing back and forth in her brain are Stacie's.

She's about to gather up every ounce of courage in her body and launching herself into something that may lead to the subject, when she catches sight of a business card lying on the counter. It belongs to a Matthew Donovan and she's never seen the card before or heard about him. "What's this?"

"Mmm?" Chloe turns around and falters when she catches sight of the item Beca's holding up. "Oh, that. I had lunch with Tom at his firm the other day and we bumped into one of his co-workers. Tom told me he had asked about me so he gave me his card."

Tom is starting to become her least favorite person in the world right now. Right after this guy and Greg.

"Oh."

Chloe waves it off and goes back to storing the leftover food inside the fridge. "But he told me the guy was looking for something serious and I don't think I'm ready to commit to a relationship, yet."

Beca feels her shoulders slump, and her heart plummet to her stomach. While she's glad Chloe isn't going to pursue anything with the guy, any chance of her making a move tonight is quickly drifting away.

She doesn't know what to reply to that, so she doesn't say anything, but can feel Chloe's gaze on her. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices Chloe open and close her mouth several times, but the words seem to get lost in her throat so she remains silent. Beca drops the card back onto the counter and raises an eyebrow when Chloe takes it between her fingers, looks at it for a moment, before tossing it into the trash.

* * *

Patience, patience ;)


	13. A Little Help From a Friend

"Hi!" Stacie greets as she opens the door. Bella is balanced on her hip and the little girl hides from Chloe with a sheepish smile. "Thank you so much, you are a life saver."

"No worries," Chloe waves her hand as she steps inside. "I'm happy to spend some time with this little cutie," she extends her arms towards Bella, and laughs when the toddler buries her face in the crook of her mother's neck.

"She ate breakfast already, there's some potato mash and ham in the fridge for lunch," Stacie sets Bella down and moves around to gather the stuff she needs. "Call me if you need anything. I should be back around 3."

Chloe nods, watching fondly as Bella follows Stacie around until the tall brunette opens the front door. She bends down to kiss Bella's forehead and shoots Chloe a smile before she exits the house. Chloe crouches down and boops Bella on the nose. "Alright, we should have fun, you and me."

The giggle she receives in response makes her heart sing. They spend the morning alternating between playing music on Bella's xylophone, coloring or watching cartoons. Chloe is impressed by Bella's knowledge of all the songs to whatever cartoon they are currently watching.

Chloe takes the time to walk around Stacie's living room. The house is a bit smaller than Beca's, but definitely nice nonetheless. She stops for a few minutes in front of the wall covered in pictures. Most of them are of Bella, Bella and Stacie, and the two of them with a man Chloe doesn't know, but she figures it's Bella's father. There are a few pictures of the Bellas, too.

One of them is of their win at the ICCA's the first time. They look so young in the picture, and Chloe had never noticed until now that Beca wasn't looking at the camera when the picture was snapped, she was looking at Chloe.

She continues along the wall, and finds a candid photo of Aubrey, Stacie, Beca and another woman that Chloe's never seen before. Beca has her arm wrapped around the woman's waist and is whispering something into her ear while Aubrey and Stacie look incredibly drunk, leaning against each other. Upon studying the picture, she realizes Beca has never shared any story of past boyfriends or girlfriends with Chloe since they have reunited.

Her phone buzzing in her pocket puts a stop to her trail of thought and she fishes it out. Beca's name is displayed on the screen. She left early for the studio today and Chloe didn't get a chance to see her.

 _How's babysitting going?_

 **Can't complain, she's a sweetheart.**

Chloe has barely got time to place her phone back in her pocket before it chimes with Beca's reply. _Takes after her godmother._

Chloe stifles a laugh and moves to the couch next to Bella, who's still engrossed in her cartoon. **I thought her godmother was a badass?**

 _Oh yeah, that, too. ;)_

Chloe rolls her eyes and sets her phone down, but it buzzes again a few seconds later.

 _Managed to get the afternoon off. How about I pick up some lunch and meet you at Stacie's?_

Chloe feels giddy at the prospect of spending the entire afternoon with her. Lately it feels like all Beca does is pile hours and hours in the studio. Chloe understands; she's got deadlines to meet and a label to run; she's just bored. She doesn't know many people except for Beca, Stacie, Aubrey and Jesse. She also sees Tom from time to time as well but all she wants is to find a job, and the few emails she's sent so far didn't get a follow-up.

She's too focused on the coloring Bella asked her to do with her to hear the front door opening and closing. She only realizes Beca has arrived when she plops down next to her and Bella on the toddler's playmat. The shorter woman sits Indian style while she and Bella are lying on their stomachs.

"Careful, Beale, you're coloring past the line there," Chloe's eyes flicker to the spot Beca is pointing out and rolls her eyes when she sees that Beca's just making fun of her. Her coloring is perfectly within the lines, thank you very much. "Made you look." Beca says with a satisfied tone and a clack of the tongue, and Chloe shoves her lightly.

"Stacie didn't tell me I would be babysitting _two_ children today," she fires back with a smirk and Beca glares at her. Chloe tilts her head, eyebrow raised as she waits for Beca to say something inappropriate, but the brunette's eyes snap to Bella, then back at Chloe, and she settles on sticking her tongue out instead.

Bella looks up, apparently about to show Chloe her coloring because she lifts it up, but then she spots Beca and scrambles to her feet in her haste to reach her.

"Auntie Becaw!" she greets happily, wobbling on her small legs until she collides with Beca, and the latter makes a show of being knocked off her balance with the blunt force of it, falling onto her back with a grunt, Bella toppling on top of her, her little body shaking with giggles. Bella taps her palms against Beca's cheek several times, "Silly auntie Becaw."

Chloe swoons at the sight and wonders if Jesse was the one to bribe Bella into calling her that way. While Beca always glares at Jesse when he calls her that; she seems to find the term endearing when it comes from her goddaughter. Chloe has to stifle a chuckle. She's _so_ whipped.

"Guess what baby?" Chloe gulps at the term, her eyes widening, before realizing Beca is addressing Bella and not her. She doesn't really know how to interpret the way her heart did a somersault. "I brought home your favorite food."

Bella's eyes light up, "Ice cweam?"

Beca straightens, her arms wrapped around Bella's back to prevent her from tipping backwards, "Well, that's for dessert, silly. How 'bout Chuck E. Cheese's first?"

Bella lets out a squeal and gets to her feet before running to peak into the bags Beca had placed on the coffee table before she joined them.

"And I got us something from the deli down the street."

Chloe lets out a moan; the deli down the street has been her favorite thing the last few weeks, ever since Beca had come home with two veggie wraps and fried rice from there. "Ugh, I love you."

Beca raises an eyebrow and struggles to hide her smile, "More than the deli?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves there, Mitchell." Chloe says with an eyeroll, and Beca pokes her shoulder with one of Bella's crayons.

Chloe bats it away before she stands up to fetch some plates, and when she comes back into the living-room, Beca is shuffling through the channels until she finds a re-run of Sesame street. Bella claps her hands together and hops onto the couch as best as she can.

Chloe sets the plates on the coffee table and helps Beca take out the containers. The brunette fixes a plate for her goddaughter and sets her down on the floor, because a toddler, a leather couch and cheesy food are not things you want to combine. She then sits behind her on the couch, legs framing Bella's body.

Chloe passes Beca's plate to her and sits on the floor across from them.

"I can't believe how good you are with her," she gushes after a while, and Beca scowls.

"Gee, thanks,"

Chloe rolls her eyes, "You know what I mean."

"Yeah," Beca winks at her, "But don't go and believe that I'm that way with all kids. I'm not as… natural with them, really. They kind of scare me off. Bella is just an exception."

After lunch (and ice cream), Beca clears off the plates while Chloe goes down the hall to put Bella down for a nap.

"Hey Bec?" Chloe asks after a minute berating herself whether or not saying something. Her curiosity gets the best of her, she can't help it.

"Mmm?" Beca answers as she finishes up the dishes.

"That girl in the picture with you, Stacie and Aubrey, was she your girlfriend?"

"Who?" Beca turns around and frowns, before she seems to realize which picture Chloe is talking about. "Oh, right. Yeah. Name's Clara. We met at a party, she's one of Bruno Mars' dancers."

Chloe's eyes widen, not only is the girl beautiful from what she saw on the picture, she must also have a killer body. Chloe is not as confident with her body as she used to be, and she starts to feel self-conscious as she looks down at herself.

From Beca's cold tone, Chloe figures it didn't end smoothly. Chloe bites her tongue not to pry but the words are running out of her clumsy mouth before she can hold them back, "Were you two together long?"

Beca busies herself making coffee as she answers, "Um, two years."

"Wow," Chloe feels stupid for saying that, especially upon receiving Beca's blank look. "Sorry."

"She broke up with me," Beca says before Chloe has the chance to ask what happened. She clicks on the coffee maker switch and walks over to where Chloe is standing at the table. "We weren't looking for the same thing."

"I'm sorry," Chloe murmurs, because she can't find anything better to say, and it doesn't look like Beca wants to elaborate on the subject.

"It's okay," Beca says with a smile and a shrug. "It's not like she was the one or anything."

Neither woman says anything for the next few seconds, the only noise filling the kitchen being the clink of the mugs Beca sets down onto the counter and the swoosh of the coffee being poured into them.

"So are you like," Chloe fiddles with her hands as she hesitates, "exclusively into women now?"

Beca chuckles as she slides one of the mugs across the table for Chloe to take, "What's with the interrogatory today, Beale?"

"Sorry," Chloe finds herself saying sheepishly once more, and she knows a light blush now tints her cheeks.

"But to answer your question, I don't really like to label my sexuality. But I haven't been attracted to a guy in a long time, so I guess I would tick the 'gay' box if I _had_ to define it."

So many questions rush to Chloe's brain in an instant, and she struggles to keep up, but the one that's up there in bold and capital letters can't be pushed away.

"Was I," she stops and knows she's turned an unflattering shade of magenta by now. "Was I your first?"

It's the first time either woman brings up the night they spent together five years ago, and Chloe's heart quickens as memories flood her mind.

It looks like Beca wants to make fun of her for her wording, but she seems to manage to simmer it down, pursing her lips, "If by 'first', you mean the first girl I slept with, then yeah, you were my first."

"Huh," Chloe says with a twist of the jaw, finding it difficult to not let it drop. "That experimentation thing took quite the turn, then."

"I guess so," Beca's smirk is full on display now, and Chloe chokes on her own saliva when she winks. "You should be flattered."

"I…" Words die in her throat as the room gets hotter with each second ticking by. "Yeah."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Chloe's glad Beca decides to change the subject, because an awkward silence right now would be the death of her. "I, uh, I have to go to New York in a few days for a couple interviews and a gig."

Come to think of it, Chloe would choose the awkward silence anytime over _that_.

"N-New York?" she stammers, the color in her face switching from a left-over blush to a ghostly white. "But he-he isn't in jail."

She only now realizes that she hasn't thought about Greg in the last couple of days.

"I know," Beca tells her with a reassuring smile. Like _that's_ any reassurance. "Nothing's going to happen to me, Chlo. New York is a big city, and Jesse will be with me."

Chloe feels her insides freeze over in dread.

"You-you," Chloe interrupts her speech to take a deep breath, but it doesn't get past her throat, stopped by the lump forming in her airways. "It's not like you can go anywhere anonymously, Beca. You're a fucking _celebrity_ , he-he'll know you're there!"

"Hey, hey," Chloe brings a trembling hand to push her hair back as Beca rounds the table and wraps her arms around her waist, body flush against Chloe's side. She rests her chin on top of Chloe's shoulder, "I'll be fine, I promise. I'll be there for three days tops, and the shows I'm doing the interviews for have secured buildings and they don't let anyone without credentials in."

Chloe tries to listen to her words, she really does. But the bitter feeling in her guts is too overwhelming for her to be able to focus on anything else. "I just," she grinds her teeth to keep from crying and turns sideways so that she's facing Beca. Her hands find Beca's on her waist. "I can't lose you."

Beca puffs out a laugh and looks at Chloe as though the redhead has said something hard to believe. She sobers us when Chloe gives her a look that tells her she's not kidding. "I'm sorry," she says with warm eyes, shaking her head lightly, "But you're not gonna lose me, Chloe. You're stuck with me."

Chloe loops her arms around Beca's neck and leans forward to rest her forehead against the brunette's collarbone. A sob leaves Chloe's mouth and the redhead honestly doesn't know what's going on with her. She hasn't broken down like this in _weeks_. Beca lets out a noise of surprise.

"O- _kay_ , okay," Beca whispers as she rubs her hand up and down Chloe's back. "Would you feel more comfortable if I, say, get a bodyguard while I'm in New York?"

Chloe feels terribly childish, but she bobs her head up and down against Beca's shoulder. "I think you should get two," she croaks out and raises her head when Beca snickers. "Stop laughing at me." She whines and Beca bites down on her bottom lip.

"Do you see me laughing?" She counters with a cocked eyebrow.

Chloe narrows her eyes at her, "Internally. I can tell."

Beca's eyes widen as she winces sarcastically, "Now I'm really worried you might be experiencing a case of paranoia."

"Shut up," Chloe shoves her shoulder before she crosses her arms over her chest and pouts. "Is it really that funny that I want you safe?"

Beca sighs, any mocking feature from her face wiped away in an instant, "No, it's not, I'm sorry. I think you might be overreacting a little bit, but hey, it's definitely an ego-booster to know that you can't live without me."

Now Chloe just wants to knock the smirk off Beca's face, but she settles with shoving her again.

"I'll text Jesse about the bodyguard thing," she grabs her phone from her back pocket and begins to type, "I hope you know I'll be the laughing stock among my peers when word gets out that I travel with my own pair of bodyguards now."

"Just this trip," Chloe says as she squeezes Beca's forearm. "Then you can ditch them."

* * *

The day before Beca has to leave for New York, both women go to Jesse and Aubrey's for lunch. Chloe spends the morning making a casserole and some appetizers, batting Beca's hands away each time she comes into the kitchen to steal something.

"Hi!" Aubrey says chirpily when she opens the front door, and greets them both with a light hug. Beca and Jesse do that ridiculous hand greeting thing that involves finger-wiggling and exploding bombs and lasts for a good ten seconds. Aubrey pulls her into the kitchen hastily and Chloe sets her two dishes down onto the table.

"What's up?" she asks curiously, raising an eyebrow at Aubrey's cheery behavior. The blonde looks this close to be jumping up and down with excitement.

"I wanted to see you in person to ask you this," Aubrey's giddiness seems to slip away to be replaced by nerves as she grabs Chloe hand. Chloe briefly wonders if Aubrey's pregnant. "I was wondering if you'd do me the honor of being my maid of honor at the wedding?"

"Are you serious?!" Chloe beams, eyes wide and grin as big as it can possibly get. She pulls Aubrey in a bone crushing hug, "Of course I will. I'd be _honored_."

They spend a the next minute drying their tears and laughing, until Aubrey smirks and Chloe looks at her questioningly.

"So, since Beca is Jesse's best man or woman, or whatever, that means you'll be walking down the aisle with her."

Chloe's not sure if Aubrey's meddling, or if it's just her imagining things. "That's fine. I'm sure with a bit of practice, we'll cure Beca's clumsiness."

"What now?" Chloe spins around to see Beca standing in the doorway with a funny look on her face, arms folded across her chest.

"Chloe is going to be my maid of honor." Aubrey announces happily and Beca's grin matches Chloe's.

"Cool! Though Aubrey, I hope you're not afraid of getting your thunder stolen by, y'know," Beca waves a finger between she and Chloe, her voice dropping down to a whisper as she cups the side of her mouth with the back of her hand as if she's telling a secret, "Our undeniable hotness."

And Chloe feels her skin tingle, warming up under Beca's gaze. She notes Aubrey cocking her head at the exchange. Although the blonde is smiling, the look she gives Chloe lingers, and the redhead knows Aubrey well enough to figure she's wondering if there's been any development with Beca that she isn't aware of.

They have just settled down out on the terrace for lunch when Chloe's cell rings. She wonders who it can be, because basically all her friends are in the room with her. It's an unknown number with the New York area code, so she excuses herself from the table to answer it.

When she comes back, three sets of eyes are looking at her. Chloe sits back down next to Beca, setting her phone next to her, eyes locked on it.

"That was, um, a lawyer from New York. He's just told me that he's handling the case and that the trial date has been set in a month."

"Okay," Aubrey says, calm and composed as always. "What's the exact date?"

"June, 15th."

Beca's hand finds her knee and Chloe feels a light squeeze that pulls her gaze toward the brunette. "That's okay, we'll all be there."

"June 15th?" Jesse asks and Chloe nods. "That's a day before the NRJ music awards in France, Beca."

"Shoot," Beca exclaims, briefly closing her eyes. "Can we like, reschedule it?"

"The NRJ music _awards_ , Beca. I know you're famous and all, but they won't reschedule the ceremony just because you're not there."

From the determined look in Beca's eyes, Chloe knows Beca is about to say she won't be going, and Chloe is not having any of it.

"Well then-"

"No, you can't miss it, Beca." Jesse interrupts sternly, yet his eyes are apologetic. "There are a lot of your artists involved, and you've just won a Grammy, so you _have_ to make an appearance. Plus, you're doing the opening number."

Beca shoots a murderous glare to Jesse, and looks as though she wants to protest.

"It's fine," Chloe says, her hand covering Beca's on her knee. "You have to go. I'll be fine. Aubrey will be here, right?"

"Of course."

Beca looks torn for a moment, and while Chloe is disappointed she won't be there, she knows there are obligations that come with Beca's fame and that she can't get out of something just because Chloe needs her to. And she's been there for the last few months, a rock by Chloe's side, so Chloe is grateful enough as it is.

* * *

"Call me when you land alright?" Chloe says once again as she pulls away from Beca.

"Hey," Beca tilts her chin towards her, "I can see the wheels turning from here. Stop worrying, I'll be fine. Okay?"

Chloe stops chewing on her bottom lip and finds the strength to nod. "Okay."

"Alright, I'll see you in a week." Beca stretches on her toes - she's on the front step of the house, while Chloe's on the stoop of the door, thus enhancing their height difference – to press her lips to Chloe's cheek briefly. Chloe feels the kiss all the way down her spine and her toes curl in her shoes to prevent herself from taking a leap towards Beca to fuse their lips together.

She closes the door behind Beca and leans against it, sighing softly. She can't deny she's been very attracted to Beca the past month, but as much as she wants to act on her feelings, she doesn't know if she's ready to take the leap. She feels fastened to the ground by her past and her insecurities, and as much as she tries to get away from them, it's not far, or high enough.

As if on cue, before her mind can dig any deeper, her phone chimes where she has left it on the bottom step of the stairs. She reaches down to grab it and opens the text from Aubrey.

 _So, since we've both been ditched by our housemates, how do you feel about a girl's night tonight at my place?_

Chloe grins and quickly types back, **Totes. I'll bring wine.**

* * *

"I was surprised when you called to meet up," Tom says with a smile as they sit in a café downtown. He takes a sip from his mug and looks at Chloe, "I thought you liked to spend the weekends with Beca since she works a lot during the week."

Chloe runs a finger over the rim of her cup absent-mindedly, her chin resting on her propped-up hand. "She had to go to NYC for a few interviews."

"And you didn't go with her? You used to live there, right?"

Chloe tenses. As much as she likes New York, the city will always be tied with heavy memories. "Yeah, I used to."

Tom cocks his head to the side and there's a beat of silence while he seems to debate on whether or not it's appropriate to the ask the next question, "Are you two, like, together?"

Chloe has to suppress a laugh because Tom sounds very high-schooly right now. "No, we're not."

Tom leans closer to peer at her as she ducks her head down to look at her own coffee, red hair framing her face, "You're blushing!"

She waves him off and tucks a strand of her hair behind her reddened ears. She buries her hands into the front pocket of her hoodie, and recalls it's actually Beca's. "Hush, you."

"So you _do_ wanna be with her, huh?" he asks with that smug smile as he leans back into his chair, and while she wants to make the smirk disappear from his face, she can't really contradict him. "Damn, Matthew is gonna be crushed."

"He seems sweet," Chloe admits, and it's the truth. She has only seen Matthew once, but she can't deny that he is quite attractive and totally her type and that, in another life, she could see herself with a guy like him. "But yeah, my heart is definitely set somewhere else."

Admitting it aloud sends a rush of tingles all the way to the tip of her toes, and she can't contain the smile stretching her lips. She's swept by a wave of giddiness, and her knee starts to bounce underneath the table.

"Good for you," Tom reaches over across the table and squeezes her forearm lightly. "So why are you two not together yet, exactly?"

"I, um. I'm not sure I'm ready to be in a relationship yet."

"What do you mean?" Tom frowns, leaning closer in interest.

"I was married, Tom. For the last four years and he," Chloe pauses and rubs at the healed scar on her forehead without even really thinking about it. Despite the clean stitches, the scar is bound to stay and will always be a reminder of what happened to her. She pauses, trying to find a proper term to describe Greg, "He wasn't a good person."

Chloe knows it's an understatement, but she doesn't want to dive into details. She doesn't know why she tells him this, because she's liked the fact that he doesn't look at her like a kicked puppy. But they have grown closer in the last month and become closer friends than they have ever been at Barden, so she feels that he should know.

She doesn't say any more on the subject, but realization seems to dawn on Tom as his eyes flicker back and forth from Chloe's to her scar, and his hand is back on hers, giving it a soft squeeze. His gaze is warm and understanding, and Chloe exhales, comforted with the fact that she told him.

"And Beca…" Chloe continues, her insides swooning at the mere mention of the brunette, "Well, she basically saved me from it all. And I know she wants to be with me, I'd be blind not to see it, really. I've wanted to kiss her countless times, but I don't know if I feel ready to launch into something this big. I wouldn't want to jeopardize our friendship if I start something I'm not ready for. Maybe it's a just an urge, I don't know."

A laugh escapes Tom's mouth, and Chloe finds herself offended by it, because she can't quite work out what's so funny about what she's just admitted.

"I'm sorry," he apologizes a second later upon realizing she's glaring at him, but there's still a dumbfounded look on his face. "It's just, the words 'you', 'Beca' and 'urge' don't really work out in the same sentence."

Chloe's eyebrows knit together in confusion, coupled with a shake of the head. "You've lost me."

"C'mon, Chloe, we both know what we had at Barden could be defined as an urge, but never what you had with Beca," she wants him to elaborate on the subject, but he speaks again before she has the chance to. He leans over, cradling his cup of coffee in both hands, "What are you afraid of, exactly?"

Chloe chews on her bottom lip, her fingers drumming on the ring of her mug. "Of hurting her because I'm not sure of what I want."

"What do you want _right now_?"

"I want to be with her, but-"

"And do you see yourself being with anyone else a year from now?"

Chloe's red curls bounce from left to right as she shakes her head. "No."

Tom smiles softly, looking pretty satisfied with himself, but this time she doesn't want to knock the smug smile off his face, "Well, you seem pretty sure of what you want."

"But-"

"You wanna know what I think?" Tom says, and Chloe knows it's a rhetorical question. She knows him well enough to be certain he will give her his opinion even if she says no. "I remember the first time you told me about Beca. It was right after the activities fair, we were making out and you stopped to tell me that you had met a girl and that you _had_ to convince her to try out for the Bellas. It literally became your goal." Chloe rolls her eyes at that, because it's a bit of a stretch from the truth, but she can't say that he's entirely wrong, _again_. "You had that look in your eyes when you talked about her, and I had a hunch. Then you literally left our _steamy_ shower to burst into hers and couldn't shut up about her and her voice." Chloe remembers clearly, and she only now realizes how much of a pain she must have been to Tom. "From then on, it was different between us. You were with me but your mind was miles away. I think I knew you liked her before you even realized it yourself."

Chloe looks at him blankly, mouth gaping open like a fish. "How has this never come up during our… arrangement?"

Tom shrugs, "I guess I was jealous. I knew deep down she had a part of you that I didn't have and probably never would," Chloe has never heard him talk this way; as if there were feelings involved on his part in their friends with benefits arrangement. Apparently, she was a bit clueless back then. Or blinded by her feelings for Beca. Either way, she never thought he cared that much. "But now that you've got the chance to actually _be_ with her, something you've wanted since the activities fair eight _years_ ago, I think you should seize it. Go with your fucking heart, Chloe. Don't let your fears dictate you what to do."

Chloe is left speechless. Tom doesn't know much about her complicated past, yet he's hit the nail over the head. That's exactly what she has done for the last four years; let her fears get in the way. And she won't have it anymore.

Chloe feels something ignite within her, it starts slow; a warm feeling tickling her belly, and it soon turns into a fire which steadily grows in the tip of her stomach. Its flames spread to her arms, like a pair of wings, and she feels as if she's floating mid-air, out of reach from her fears that remain stuck to the ground. She's flying toward a promising place, a familiar place that holds a lot of hope for her in the future.

She can't wait for Beca to get home.


	14. Home Is Where The Heart Is

"Chlo?" Beca calls out as she walks through the door. "I'm home!"

 _God, that sounds so domestic, she's not even your girlfriend._ Beca rolls her eyes at herself and drops her bag and suitcase at the foot of the door.

"Beca!" Beca whips around at the sound of her name, and she barely has time to gasp before Chloe barrels into her, almost tackling her to the floor with the force of it.

"Dude!" Beca protests, but the smile on her face gets so big upon hearing Chloe's joyful tone. God, she's so glad to be home.

"I got a job!" Chloe exclaims, breaking the hug but grabbing Beca's hands in her own. She is bouncing on the balls of her feet and Beca struggles with keeping up with her bubbliness.

"Woah, slow down," Beca says gently, waving their fingers together. She knows Chloe's hands like the back of hers, and there is no fumbling in doing so, they fit together perfectly. It's natural act and Beca doesn't have to think much about it before doing it anymore. "Let's sit down, you're making me dizzy."

She leads Chloe to the couch and sits her down. Raising an eyebrow, she waits for the redhead to start.

"I got an interview last week in a school to be their new music teacher next year, and they called me ten minutes ago to tell me I had it!" Chloe beams, and her happiness is so contagious that Beca mirrors it, tears starting to prickle behind her eyes.

"Oh my God," Beca is the one almost suffocating Chloe in a hug now. "That's amazing, congratulations."

Chloe exhales as Beca pulls away, "Thank you."

"Why didn't you tell me you had an interview?" Beca asks. They talked nearly every day when Beca was in New York and it hasn't come up once.

Chloe looks down, then back up, playing with Beca's fingers absent-mindedly. "I wanted to do this one thing on my own. Ever since I got married, I've felt like I was always relying on someone else. With Greg first and... obviously with you too since I moved here. I wanted to prove myself that I could do something without feeling the need to have someone support me through it."

Beca nods, understanding Chloe's reasons perfectly. Her hands seem to move on their own accord, cupping Chloe's cheeks tenderly, and leaning her forehead against hers. "I'm so proud of you."

There is a beat of silence where she forgets how to breathe, and her heart begins to speed up when she sees Chloe's eyes drift down to her lips. Beca's mind jumps back to Hood Night, where Chloe had grabbed her and their foreheads had touched. She remembers the somersault her heart had made then, too.

 _Snap out of it._ "So!" Beca exclaims, pulling away, hands landing on her thighs to keep away from Chloe. "Should we go out and celebrate? I'm sure the others will be down."

"I've already called Aubrey saying I wanted to go out and celebrate something. I didn't tell her what because I wanted you to be the first to know. But she said she's down and that she would convince Jesse to come, too."

After grabbing some dinner and changing clothes, both women hail a cab and meet with the couple at a bar downtown. Stacie declined the invitation since she has Bella tonight, and hasn't spent much with her daughter the past few days. The first part of the evening goes well, very well even. Chloe hasn't really gone out since she's moved to LA, and even though she assures Beca she's doing much better with crowds, Beca can't help but worry.

"C'mon," Aubrey calls out over the music, grabbing Chloe's hand, "Let's go dance."

The redhead sets her drink down and follows her friend out on the dancefloor. Beca's eyes momentarily follow Chloe, because she looks freaking hot in that skirt and Beca's fingers start to tingle. She casts a sideways glance to Jesse, feeling his eyes boring into her.

"What?" she drawls out, suppressing an eyeroll.

Jesse looks like a deer caught in headlights, "What, _what_?"

"Please," the DJ scoffs. "You've got that look on your face. Spill,"

Jesse's eyes advert to the dancefloor, nodding toward the two women dancing, "She has feelings for you."

Beca is a bit of a lightweight, and after three drinks, she can tell she's definitely got a buzz going on, but Jesse's words have her sober up. Even though Stacie has said the same thing to her, her brain is stubborn enough not to fall for it, the conversation she had with Chloe that same night about being in a relationship being etched into it. "Don't be stupid."

"The way she looks at you, Becs. It's like you're the only woman on the planet. Aubrey agrees with me."

Beca sits straighter on her stool, her jaw dropping in disbelief. "You two talk about this?!"

"Oh, only all the time," Jesse says, shrugging his shoulder. "We're already one of those old couples who don't have anything more exciting to do than to meddle."

"Well, Chloe's recently told me that she's not interested in a relationship. She says it's too soon, and I don't want her to be a fling, so I'm waiting for the right moment, until she's ready."

Beca stops talking when she sees Aubrey coming back toward them, on her own.

"Where's Chloe?" she asks the blonde, frowning.

"Bathroom break," Aubrey replies, a little breathless from dancing. She takes a sip of her drink before she drags Jesse and a reluctant Beca to the dance floor.

Beca'd rather be in that DJ booth than stuck in a sea of drunk and sweaty people. A song passes, and Chloe still hasn't returned. Trying to shove her worry away, Beca decides to wait one more song before she goes on a search for her friend. As soon as the mix ends (it is a pretty good one, she must admit, although her thoughts are set on something else), she's stalking toward the bathroom. The club isn't big, so she quickly reaches it.

Pushing the door open, she checks every cubicle, but finds them empty. Uneasiness starts to grasp her throat, and her mouth suddenly feels dried up. It's only when she turns around that she hears some mumbling on the opposite side of the bathroom. It's faint over the pounding music, but it makes Beca turn toward it.

She doesn't know if it's relief or dread she feels when she sees Chloe huddled in a corner on the far wall, hidden behind the row of faucets.

"Chlo," Beca walks to her and crouches down as best as she can in her heels. The sight before her brings a pain to her chest, the kind of pain one would get if a hand was squeezing their heart. Chloe has her eyes screwed shut, her hands pressed tightly over her ears. Her legs are tucked to her chest, and she's rocking back and forth while mumbling words that Beca cannot quite make out. She can hear Chloe breathing rapidly into her knees and Beca's own breathing starts to pick up.

With each rock of her body, Chloe's head connects with the wall behind her and the sound echoes in the empty bathroom.

"Chloe, honey," Beca tries again, trying to keep her voice steady. She grabs the redhead's shoulders, who recoils from the touch with a whimper, making Beca back away immediately. The rocking intensifies, and Chloe's voice grows louder, without the words sounding any clearer. Beca is rooted to her spot, not knowing what to do. She has helped Chloe with her nightmares and panic attacks before, but the scene unfolding in front her very eyes is another level of distress, one she cannot hug away. It's painful to watch and Beca wishes Stacy had come with them to the bar, she wishes dearly she knew what to do.

"Please," Chloe murmurs, and Beca frowns. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I-I won't do it again."

"Chloe, it's me, Beca," the brunette is at loss for words. It's obvious Chloe is hallucinating or something. Beca wants to reach out for her, at least to prevent her head from hitting the wall, but she's afraid touching Chloe might make things worse. "Look at me."

"Just let me go, _please_."

The words can't be directed to her, because she isn't even touching her. Beca puts the puzzle pieces together then, realizing Chloe is experiencing a PTSD episode. Tears have been streaming down Chloe's cheeks, and Beca is pretty sure she's in the same state.

She hears the door open and whips her head around, almost giving herself a whiplash in the process.

"Get out!" she growls to the two girls coming in. They are taken aback by the sudden shout and out of the bathroom in no time.

Turning her attention back to her friend, Beca kneels and carefully reaches for Chloe's hands, gently prying them away from her ears. She sighs in relief when Chloe doesn't flinch away, and grasps both hands, pulling them to her chest, her thumbs grazing Chloe's knuckles back and forth.

"Chloe, baby," her voice cracks with the emotion tearing at her chest as Chloe's ragged breathing intensifies until she's wheezing. "It's Beca."

She's at loss on what to do, so she does the one thing she knows might calm Chloe.

" _I'm bullet proof, nothing to lose, fire away fire away_ ," she sings softly, as close to Chloe's ear as she can, given her position. " _Ricochet, you take your aim, fire away, fire away_."

Chloe's rocking slows, enough for her head not to be hitting the wall anymore. Beca feels some of the tension leave Chloe's body, and her shoulders slump down. Her face relaxes slightly.

" _You shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am Titanium._ " Beca repeats the chorus twice and reaches over to wipe some of Chloe's tears away. To her surprise, Chloe starts humming the song, which prompts Beca to sing it again, from the beginning. She sings until Chloe's breathing evens out, until she stops rocking.

"Chloe," Beca's voice is so gentle that it doesn't even sound like hers. "It's okay, you're okay."

Chloe takes a shaky breath in and a shaky breath out, before finally opening her eyes. The white around the blue is bloodshot, and there are still tears swimming in them, threatening to topple over and down her cheeks. Beca moves so she's sat next to her and gathers her into her arms. Chloe's like a dead weight in her hold, and her breathing gets irregular every few seconds, as if battling against another panic attack bubbling up in her chest. Beca's hand rubs up and down her back until it steadies.

"Can we go home?"

 _Home._ With Beca. That's what she means by Home, and it mends Beca's battered heart a tiny bit.

"Yeah," Beca pushes herself to her feet and helps Chloe up, "If I had been told I was going home with such a hot chick, I would have tidied up the place a little bit."

Chloe smiles, and even though it doesn't quite reach her eyes, Beca feels the tension in the atmosphere loosen. She wraps an arm around Chloe's waist and leads her outside, finding Jesse and Aubrey on their way, who drive them back to Beca's place. The ride is silent, and Beca whispers her thanks to the couple for dropping them off, thankful that they don't ask anything. Beca makes a note to herself to text them later to explain.

Once inside, Beca makes she and Chloe some herbal tea and places the mugs on the coffee table before joining Chloe on the couch.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Beca asks cautiously, her hand finding Chloe's back. It settles between Chloe's shoulder blades, thumb moving back and forth over her top.

Chloe takes a sip from her tea and cradles the mug in both hands before speaking, "I was having fun dancing with Aubrey, until some guy came up behind me and-and whispered something crass in my ear. I was about to turn around and tell him to fuck off but then- "she pauses and swallows. "He pressed himself against me and his hand squeezed my hip."

Beca remains silent, allowing Chloe to take her time to find her words.

"That- that's something Greg did to show me he had control and it-it triggered something inside of me. Suddenly I was back in New York and I couldn't get _out_. And then I don't remember anything until you started to sing in the bathroom." Chloe sighs in frustration, pushing her hair away from her face. "I-I thought I was better, I thought I was past this."

"It's okay," Beca scoots closer and presses a kiss to Chloe's temple. "You're still much better than before. What you experienced was PTSD and there's not much you can do to stop it. Your mind reacted to something that brought utter fear within you and it still needs some time to realize that you're not in danger anymore. It needs some time to heal."

Chloe nods and tilts her head toward Beca, "Why are you so good to me?"

Beca smiles softly and cups Chloe's cheek, her thumb grazing her cheekbone. Chloe grasps Beca's wrist between her fingers, while leaning into the arch of Beca's palm. Their gestures feel so intimate that it makes Beca's throat tighten. She's not sure she can resist the temptation to just close the gap between them and kiss her. "Because you're Chloe. You embody sunshine and kindness and you deserve the best that can be given. So that's what I'm trying to do."

Beca is not sure how many times she's played the next second in her head over the last few months. Soft, full lips brush against hers and her heart is suddenly about to beat out of her chest. Every part of her body tenses at first, before melting into the kiss and tilting her head to move her lips swiftly along Chloe's.

Her fingertips are burning to tug Chloe closer, but then this stupid part of her brain remembers what Chloe said about relationships and her breathing stills.

"Chloe..." Beca whispers against Chloe's lips as she wrenches herself away, her eyes still closed, scared that if she opens them, Chloe might have vanished. She drops her hand from Chloe's jaw and instantly misses the warmth. "I don't know what this means, but I know that If it's just a thing for you, I can't do that-"

"I love you," Chloe interrupts, her voice rock steady. Beca's eyes fly open, her insecure and dark blue orbs meeting Chloe's crystal-clear ones. Her breathing is on stand-by and she's about to pinch herself to make sure her mind hasn't escaped into another one of her fantasies. "Ever since we saw each other again in New-York, I've had these feelings resurging and seizing my heart so fiercely that I haven't felt that way in a long time,"

Chloe hesitates, as though weighing her words, and Beca squeezes her knee lightly in encouragement, although she is trying very hard not to leap into Chloe's arms and kiss her senseless like she has wanted to since their lunch in NY.

"I've been cautious ever since I moved here. I didn't want to lunge into something with you without knowing for sure if I was ready. You're so important to me, Bec, and I couldn't imagine jeopardizing our friendship over my urges. And it wouldn't have been fair to you. But lately, _this_ ," she waves a hand between them both. "has become what I strive for. I want _us_. I want to be with you."

Beca felt her lungs stopped working for a beat or two. She exhales, closing her eyes briefly. "Goddamit, you have no idea how long I've wanted to hear that," Beca tentatively leans forward, ghosting her lips over Chloe's, drawing a sigh from the redhead. "I love you, too, Chlo."

She feels Chloe smile against her mouth and closes the space between them, catching Chloe's lips with hers. Unlike their first kiss back during their last night at Barden, this one is precise, patient and gentle as if both women want to remember every detail of it.

Chloe moans when Beca sweeps her tongue across her bottom lip, and parts her own to let her in. Beca feels a familiar pull in her stomach when their tongues touch, a testament that everything is very real. She moves closer to the other woman, wrapping her arms around her back. Chloe deepens the kiss, her own arms snaking around Beca's neck, and presses her body against the DJ's.

They barely break apart to take a breath, and Beca switches positions so that she's straddling Chloe. Their rhythm becomes more urgent, as though they want to make up for lost time. Chloe runs her hand down Beca's side, lightly grazing the underside of her breast, and settles it onto Beca's hips, palm curling around her hipbone.

Chloe's lips leave Beca's and find a sensitive spot on her neck, which has Beca cursing and her hips bucking to meet Chloe's, drawing a moan out of both girls. Beca's blinded by a white light beneath her closed eyelids as Chloe bites her neck and smooths the sting with her tongue.

Chloe's mouth works her way down her neck and chest, until it's obstructed by the brunette's shirt. Beca feels her fingers tease the hem of her shirt and her brain is suddenly screaming at her not to do anything reckless.

"Wait, wait, wait," she says breathlessly, cupping Chloe's face and meeting her eyes. Strands of hair fall in front of her eyes and Chloe pushes them back behind Beca's ear. Beca is slightly taken aback by how dark Chloe's eyes have turned with lust. It makes something snap inside of her, and she can feel her own control rapidly slipping out of reach.

Beca's voice is laced with hope and apprehension, "As much as I want to continue this, are you sure?"

Chloe doesn't miss a beat, "Never been so sure of anything in my life, Bec," she punctuates her words with a kiss that leaves Beca light-headed. "Now can I take your shirt off?"

Beca nods and her shirt is pulled over her head, and she's quick to work on Chloe's shirt buttons, though her trembling fingers struggle with the last one. She slips her hand past the open garment and grazes her fingers over the bra, before her hands travel to Chloe's shoulder and push the cotton back.

She kisses Chloe's jaw and neck, lightly sucking, encouraged by the sounds escaping Chloe's mouth. Beca feels heat spreading in the pit of her stomach, her desire quickly growing into something she won't be able to tame.

"Bec," Chloe whimpers, her hands all over the brunette's skin, carressing, discovering. Beca pushes her to lay down on the couch, and finds the zipper of her skirt, pulling it down and taking it off Chloe, which results in a light struggle given their position. As Chloe lies there in her underwear, hair tousled and hooded blue eyes, Beca feels her chest soar. As if feeling shy under Beca's hungry gaze, Chloe moves her arms to cover herself slightly, but Beca shakes her head and grabs Chloe's hands, pushing them away.

"You're so beautiful," she murmurs, bending down to kiss her lightly, then her neck, the valley of her breast and her stomach. She takes her time, trying to print out every curve and dip, as if Chloe's body was a map she wants to know by heart. She needs to taste and touch her everywhere.

Beca swirls her tongue around her navel and pauses when she reaches the waistband of Chloe's underwear. The last thing she wants is to rush this, so she kisses her way back up, taking her time to explore the woman's body. She kisses every scar she finds on her way up, some of which she has already seen and knows their story, some of them unknown to her, but for which she can guess the origin.

She pauses on a fresh one, which she knows was caused by Greg's hands, just atop her left shoulder. Beca can't help it but look back into Chloe's eyes, uncertainty clouding her own. Her fingers still on Chloe's waist, and she tries to control her breathing before she speaks.

"Are you sure?" she finds herself asking again. "I-I don't want us to do anything you might regret."

"Yes, Beca, I'm sure," Chloe enunciates slowly, cupping Beca's jaw, "Now shut up and kiss me,"

Beca doesn't need to be told twice. She reconnects her lips with Chloe's, more eagerly this time, and feels utterly drunk with desire for the redhead. She works her way around Chloe's back and unhooks her bra in a swift move, tossing it blindly onto the floor. Chloe's wandering hands make it difficult for Beca to focus on her task, even more so when she feels a squeeze to her backside, the motion fusing their hips together.

"Fuck," Beca bites her bottom lip and rocks her hips against Chloe's once more. She bends down and kisses her left breast, circling the nipple before taking it into her mouth. Chloe arches her back, throwing her head back against the arm of the couch as her fingers run through Beca's hair, lightly tugging.

Beca pulls her focus to the other breast, while her hand sweeps over Chloe's toned stomach and disappears between her legs, her fingers grazing her center over the lacy material. Chloe's hips buck up, one of her thigh wedging itself between Beca's legs and brushing oh so beautifully against a certain spot. Beca's legs quiver as she growls under her breath, dragging her teeth over Chloe's nipple and biting perhaps a bit harshly, judging from the surprised gasp that leaves Chloe's mouth. Beca runs her tongue over the sting, inhaling sharply when Chloe's thigh rubs against her.

"Chlo," She breathes out, dropping her forehead to Chloe's chest, her hips grinding on Chloe's leg on their own accord. She loses herself in a slow dance of their hips, arousal pumping through her veins, deafened by the thumping sound of her own heartbeat in her ears.

"You're wearing far too many clothes," Chloe rasps out, hands working on unfastening Beca's jeans. Beca stands for a second on wobbly legs to shimmy her way out of them and kneels back on the couch, a little farther than before.

Beca knows what she is doing. She has been with a fair number of girls over the last few years, and has mastered the art of bringing them over the edge. She knows she is a skilled lover. But this time is very different. This is _Chloe_. She has waited for this moment for so long, that she's nervous about not giving Chloe the amount of love that she deserves.

Slowly, shaky fingers drag the last piece of clothing past Chloe's hips and down her legs. Beca kisses Chloe's ankle as it sits on her shoulder, and ever so slowly makes her way back to where Chloe wants her the most.

When her lips close around Chloe's sensitive numb, Chloe isn't able to form any word, a loud moan tumbling past her lips instead. She gasps, her back arching off the couch once more. The brunette lets out a moan of her own, swirling her tongue over wet heat while her thumb works skilled circles over her clit.

She pauses and kisses her way back up, one finger pushing into Chloe's silky heat. She silences Chloe's moans with a bruising kiss, retracting her finger briefly to add a second one, and watches with hooded eyes as Chloe's orgasm starts to build, eyes rolling to the back of her head as Beca's name drops from her parted lips.

Beca quickens the rhythm and when she feels Chloe starting to tighten around her, she pushes her thumb over her clit in rhythm with the movement of her fingers.

Judging from her erratic breathing and the moans escaping her mouth Beca knows Chloe is close and she grazes her earlobe with her teeth, "Let go, baby."

With a final curl of her fingers, Beca's name tumbles out of Chloe's mouth, a small cry getting stuck in her throat as her body spams. The orgasm washes over her whole body and Beca shudders when the sight alone shoots a spike of desire to her core.

She cups Chloe's face with her other hand and kisses her lazily, swiping her tongue along her bottom lip. It takes a few seconds for Chloe to respond, but then she whimpers and deepens the kiss, which prompts Beca to place her hand back where it was just a second ago. Chloe gasps into the kiss and Beca swiftly goes down, until her mouth is tasting her, and it isn't long until Chloe topples over the edge, but Beca's right there to catch her.

A sob accompanies her climax, and Beca can feel Chloe's legs shake against her. She crawls back to Chloe's level and settles on her side, gathering Chloe into her arms. She places gentle kisses on Chloe's face as the redhead comes down with a soft sigh.

The brunette brushes Chloe's hair away from her sticky forehead and wraps an arm around her, the tips of her fingers running up and down her spine, goosebumps erupting along their trail. Chloe's eyes are still closed and her breathing is just coming back to normal, but Beca can feel Chloe's heart race against her body.

"Are you still alive?" she teases, placing a kiss to juncture where Chloe's neck and shoulder meet. Chloe only whimpers in reply, and Beca chuckles, the corners of her lips sharpening into a smile, "I love you."

She feels something running down her shoulder and casts her eyes downward, catching a tear escaping Chloe's eye.

"Hey, hey," Beca says softly, cupping Chloe's face so she can look at her properly. Her heart drops into her stomach at the possibility that she might have been too forward, or worse, too rough. "What is it? Did I hurt you? God, I-"

She frowns when Chloe lets out a small watery laugh. About to ask what is so funny, she is interrupted by Chloe's lips on hers. "You didn't hurt me, quite the opposite. It's just, it's been such a long time since I've felt this way."

Beca's heart slows back down to a normal rhythm, "Happy?"

Chloe shakes her head, "Loved."

Beca feels a strange feeling settle in her chest; she can't decide if it's sadness or pride. Part of her feels sad because Chloe deserved much more than how she has been treated over the last few years, and the other part feels proud; proud to be able to make Chloe happy, because that has been Beca's ultimate goal lately.

The brunette doesn't know how to respond to that, so she settles on kissing Chloe's temple, letting her lips rest against her warm skin for a while. Feeling Chloe shudder against her body, she blindly reaches for the blanket draped on the back of the couch and covers them both with it.

It's not long before Chloe's breathing evens out, and Beca watches her for a moment, making sure to get that image printed in her mind as if to convince it it's still very real, before she drifts off to sleep as well.

* * *

Beca wakes up the next morning a bit disoriented. The surface she is lying on is far less comfortable than the silk sheets on her own bed -yes, she owns silk sheets because she can afford them, and they are fucking amazing-, and most importantly, void of any sign of Chloe.

Beca rubs her eyes until she is sure she can open them without squinting at the harsh light coming from the bay windows. She realizes she's just in her underwear, having thrown her bra off before falling asleep, because really, who in their right mind would sleep with their bra on. She stretches her arm out and grabs a shirt, shrugging it on before realizing it's Chloe's as it's a bit bigger than what she owns.

She hears some noise coming from the kitchen and gets up to investigate, hoping to find her girlfriend (hopefully Chloe's now her girlfriend, and the words alone make Beca swoon) and not some stray animal like a racoon or something. Right, because a racoon could get through her house security system.

She pauses in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest, a smirk on her lips as she watches Chloe cook breakfast. The latter doesn't have any pants on, just her underwear and a hoodie -Beca's- and is humming to the song on the radio, moving her body to _Shame, shame, shame_.

Beca wants to make fun of her for jamming it out to a song from the eighties, but she finds it extremely endearing.

"Nice moves," Beca calls out softly, knowing by now that it's better to announce her presence rather than sneak up on Chloe.

Chloe stops abruptly, looking over her shoulder and flashing Beca a smile that makes the brunette weak in the knees.

It's only morning, and Beca's arousal is through the roof already, something that probably has to do with watching Chloe orgasm twice last night, which turned her on to no ends, and not getting off herself. Not that she complains; last night was about Chloe, and Beca has waited five years for that moment, so she can be a little more patient.

"Thanks," Chloe says, her chipper voice pulling Beca back down to earth and to her kitchen, where Chloe is staring at her with a curious look. The DJ pads the rest of the way to the other woman and stands awkwardly next to her, leaning her hip against the countertop.

Chloe looks at her through her eyelashes, teeth lightly tugging on her bottom lip, making Beca almost lose it right there. Chloe is the one to make the first move, much like the night before, as she closes the scant distance between them to catch Beca's lips in a long and slow kiss that leaves Beca short of breath. "Good morning."

"Mmm," Beca moans, brushing her nose against Chloe's. "I'll say."

Chloe rolls her eyes and swats her arm lightly, squealing in surprise when Beca pins her gently against the countertop and steals another kiss. They stand there for God knows how long, lazily making-out in the kitchen without a care in the world. Well, until whatever Chloe was cooking starts to burn, making them break apart to hastily turn off the stove.

The bacon is especially crispy that morning.

* * *

 **Yay! Only took 14 chapters so I decided to reward y'all for your patience with a bit more than just a kiss. ;) So I was kinda nervous about this chapter? Writing smut doesn't come naturally haha. Hope you liked it. Thoughts are always appreciated.**


	15. Closure

**Hi all! First, I'd like to thank you for the lovely comments on the last chapter :)**

 **Before starting this chapter, please note that I am not a lawyer and I tried to make the trial as realistic as possible with a bit of research (read: English terms I didn't understand and almost had me pull my hair out).**

 **Now that that's been covered, hope you enjoy, I really liked writing this one!**

* * *

"You ready, babe?"

Chloe's hears Beca's voice drift into the room adjacent to the bathroom she's standing in. The term of endearment has her heart race a little bit faster and a smile stretching the corner of her lips.

She finishes applying her lipstick and fluffs her hair a bit to add some volume. "I'll be right there!"

Looking quite satisfied with her look, she opens the bathroom door and steps out. Beca is sat on the bed, fiddling with her phone. She casts her eyes up and something between a groan and a moan seems to get stuck in her throat.

"Dayum." Beca's staring at her with that look and it makes Chloe blush furiously. She's still not as confident about her body as she used to be, but the way Beca looks at her on a daily basis makes her feel like she's only person on the planet. Her girlfriend stands and walks over, eyes roaming over Chloe's figure, which really doesn't help Chloe in the 'face currently on fire' department. "You look hot."

"Thanks," Chloe says chirpily. She chose to go with a simple form fitting red dress that stops right above the knees. Beca looks quite amazing herself in her dark blue jeans and white blouse, coupled with taupe pumps. Chloe is still barefoot, so Beca's heels make them the just about the same height. "You don't look too bad yourself."

The brunette smiles at the compliment and snakes her arm around Chloe's waist, tugging her towards her gently. Chloe grins and leans in to place a quick kiss on Beca's lips, but Beca has other plans, hand coming up Chloe's back to cup her neck and keeping her close as her tongue strokes along Chloe's lips, deepening the kiss. Chloe melts into it, groaning as Beca nips at her bottom lip, before soothing the bite with her tongue.

"Do we _have_ to go?" Beca whines when Chloe pulls away, bottom lip sticking out into a pout. Chloe chuckles and pushes a strand of Beca's hair behind her ear.

"Yes. It's Aubrey and Jesse's engagement party."

"But we see them _all_ the time," Chloe rolls her eyes at Beca's childish tone. She wonders when the exchange between Beca and a six-year-old took place. "I just wanna spend time with you."

"Well, it's a good thing that I'm coming along then," she clacks her tongue, then lets go of Beca to brush past her, step out into the hall and down the stairs.

"Yeah, but what I had in mind is not very public-place material." Beca's voice follows after her.

Chloe stops at the foot of the stairs and feels something snap in the pit of her stomach when Beca stands right behind her on the first step. She tries to resist the fact that her body is stirring toward Beca's on its own accord, like a powerful magnet that she has no control of. Not that she wants to control it anyway.

"Because when we get there," Beca's tone has come down a notch, dropping to a low murmur, and it sends a spike of lust directly to Chloe's core. She feels Beca's fingertips on her skin, brushing her hair away until it's gathered over her right shoulder, leaving one side of her neck exposed.

"I won't be able to do this," Chloe feels Beca's lips at the juncture between her neck and shoulder, "Or this," lips travel up to suck at her pulse point and Chloe can only release a groan as her eyes slip shut. "Or this." She concludes her journey by grazing Chloe's earlobe with her teeth, and Chloe can feel Beca's smile against her skin when she shudders.

Chloe turns around slowly, draping her arms over Beca's shoulder. "Nice try," she says huskily, watching Beca's eyes drop to her lips. "But we're still going."

She tries to suppress a laugh when Beca whines but fails, and kisses her quickly before reaching down in the shoe closet for her black heels. She hears Beca grab her keys and set the alarm before they step out of the house.

They have been together for two weeks and spent the majority of that time cooped up in the house, expect to run errands. Chloe's the happiest she's been in a long time. Not that she had any doubt in her mind about Beca's ability to make her happy, it's just the little things she does that make Chloe swoon. Things like taking her hand as soon as they settle in the car, or going out of her way to cook Chloe's favorite meal (and boy, can she cook), or just making the time in her busy schedule so they can have lunch together.

And Chloe's discovered that Beca is a _very_ thorough lover. It actually kind of makes her insecure about her own game, not that Beca's complained.

To say they don't go unnoticed when they step through the door of the Jesse and Aubrey's house is an understatement. Stacie whistles and dubs them the hottest couple of the party, before she half-heartedly apologizes to Aubrey and Jesse with a shrug.

Aubrey only waves her off and squeezes Chloe into a hug, "About time."

Chloe chuckles and nods as she parts from Aubrey's embrace. "Yeah, I know."

"I'm happy for you." Aubrey whispers into her ear and Chloe beams, squeezing the blonde's hands.

"Well, I'm happy to be here to celebrate you guys," She says, and Aubrey's smile soon matches her. "Tonight's gonna be good."

She hugs Jesse afterwards, and notices how surprised he looks at first, before his arms wrap around her loosely.

There are a lot of people at the party, people Chloe doesn't know, and she gets a little uncomfortable at first, but the feeling drifts away as soon as Beca thrusts a drink into her hands and kisses the apple of her cheek.

"You good?" she asks. And Chloe knows she doesn't want to make a big deal out of it but also can't help but make sure she's fine. Chloe can't blame her; the last time she was in a crowded place, it ended in a panic attack in the bathroom and although she doesn't remember much, she knows it was a scary experience for Beca.

"Yeah," Chloe nods, smiling at her girlfriend. "I'm good."

Looking satisfied with her answer, Beca takes her hand and leads her outside towards the large balcony that overlooks the city. Chloe gasps when she spots Cynthia Rose and Fat Amy casually leaned against the railing of the balcony, looking deep in conversation.

"Girl," CR drawls out when she catches sight of Chloe and walks towards her, hugging Chloe tightly. They both stumble when Fat Amy crashes their embrace. Chloe lets out a carefree laugh and tears sting behind her eyes because she's missed them so much.

"How long has it been?!" Cynthia-Rose exclaims when she pulls away, eyebrows raised.

"Five years, I guess," Chloe turns quiet, expecting them to ask where she's been, and how come she didn't keep in touch, but they remain silent and just smile at her, telling her they're glad to see her. Chloe wonders how much Beca has said, or if she simply told them not to ask too many questions.

"And how long have you been banging Grumpy over there?" Amy stage whispers, and Chloe can only laugh; she's thrown back a few years to all the moments they all shared, and this feels like the Bella reunion she has been craving for years all this time.

The party turns out to be a lot of fun. Chloe lets loose after her second drink, and by her fourth drink she's swaying with Stacie and Cynthia Rose on the makeshift dance floor in the couple's living room. Beca joins them at some point, and they lazily make out in the middle of a dozen dancing bodies, as if the other was the only person in the room.

"Fuck!" Beca exclaims, face wincing in pain as she seizes her foot. They've just got home and stumbled upstairs, a little drunker than they both intended to be. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

"You okay baby?" Chloe calls out from the bathroom doorway as she takes out her earrings.

"Stubbed my toe," Beca's face is red as she breathes through the pain, rubbing her pinky toe between her pointer finger and thumb. Chloe laughs in sympathy and hits the bathroom lights before coming to a stop in front of the closet and reaching for the zipper of her dress, but she's a few inches short to reach it.

"Can you unzip me?" she calls over her shoulder, only to catch Beca smirking and walking toward her, apparently having overcome the agony she was in (Beca's tolerance for pain is very low, Chloe has found out).

"Gladly," she tells Chloe while wiggling her eyebrows, and the next think Chloe feels is Beca molding herself against her back, and lips on her shoulder. "So about that non-public place material thing, what do ya say?"

"Horn-dog," Chloe giggles, shaking her head, though she inhales sharply a second later when Beca bites her neck. She turns around in her girlfriend's arms and finds darkened eyes staring back at her.

"Well, my girlfriend is so sexy that I'm encountering some trouble keeping my hands to myself," To stay true to her words, Beca starts to run her fingers up Chloe's arm and down her side until they find the zipper and tug it down.

"Cheesy, but thanks," Chloe says, but shuts up as soon as her dress pools to the floor and Beca's hungry gaze runs all over her body. A sound gets stuck in her throat when Beca's hand wanders to rest between her legs while her lips travel down her chest and toned stomach, kissing, biting, licking, until she's kneeling in front of Chloe with those eyes and that smirk that tell Chloe exactly what she is going to do, and the redhead feels her legs quiver in anticipation.

"Fuck," Chloe moans out as Beca places a kiss just above the waistband of her panties, and she staggers back against the dresser, her body hitting the wooden surface with a thud. Chloe's panting when Beca hooks her left leg over her shoulder, and then she finds herself unable to process any coherent thought other than Beca's name tumbling out of her lips.

* * *

"I think we should do that non-public place material thing more often," Beca pants as Chloe plops down next to her on Beca's bed, just about as breathless as the brunette after another round of lovemaking.

"More often?" Chloe's eyes widen as she gathers the sheet around her chest, head nestled in her propped-up hand as she looks down at Beca. "Your amount of libido is starting to scare me. We've _just_ been at it like four times."

"Yeah, well, I can't seem to get enough of you," Beca reaches up and steals a kiss, hand swiftly removing the sheet from Chloe's chest and allowing her eyes to roam long enough to make Chloe blush. "Can you blame me?"

"Alright, enough, Casanova," Chloe says with an eyeroll, grabbing Beca's hand before it can venture further down. Beca holds it up in surrender, and Chloe chuckles before snuggling against the shorter woman. She feels Beca's chest rise and fall and fingers running along her spine, and feels her lids droop with sleepiness. "You're leaving tomorrow, right?"

"Mmm," Beca hums, lips pressing a kiss to Chloe's hair. "Vegas then France. I'm sorry I won't be here for the trial."

" 'S okay." Chloe whispers, draping an arm over Beca's midsection. "Aubrey will be there. I'll be fine."

* * *

On trial day, Chloe doesn't feel so fine. It's Monday morning in New York, and they are supposed to be at the courthouse in an hour. Chloe is sat on the bed in her hotel room, dress shirt and pants neatly laid next to her, and she gradually feels more nervous with every tick of the clock.

"Chloe, you ready?" Aubrey asks as she steps through Chloe's bedroom door. She hears Aubrey sigh and the bed dip when the blonde sits beside her.

She has barely slept last night, tossing and turning and going over what she would say today.

"I'm not sure I can do this," Chloe says, her voice unsteady as she wrings her hands. "I don't want to see him again, I-I-" She rubs her palms over her pajamas-clad thighs back and forth, until Aubrey stills them. "I didn't think it would be so hard."

"Chloe," Aubrey's tone is stern and soothing at the same time. "Chloe, look at me." Chloe blinks up at her, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth. "You need to do this. If you don't, you will regret it for the rest of your life. What Greg has done to these women all these years is unacceptable, and what he did to you was far worse than that. _Your_ testimony will be the one to tip the scales in our favor. _Your_ testimony will be the one to put his ass in jail."

Taking another gush of air in, Chloe finds herself nodding, her body filled with a sense of duty that she needs to fulfill. Aubrey squeezes her hands.

"We've been over your testimony several times. You know what type of questions the defense will ask you, and what they may say to throw you off. You've got this, Chloe. Now, I would love nothing more than take that motherfucker down, but I can't be the one to do it." Chloe's lips break into an amused smile upon hearing Aubrey curse. "But I'll be in that courtroom. If you feel like you're losing your footing, just look at me. Okay? And if you need to take a break because it's too hard, we'll take a recess. The justice system doesn't take domestic battery lightly. And having a jury for the trial is a good thing, too. We don't realize it, but many people have been exposed to domestic abuse in their lives, that it be directly or through family members, friends, or co-workers, so there's a strong chance they will be receptive to your story."

"Okay," Chloe nods several times in succession, drawing a deep breath. "I can do this."

"Of course you can," Aubrey wraps an arm around her, bringing her in for a side hug and Chloe feels her heartbeat slow down to a normal rhythm. "Now go get yourself ready."

She can do this. She just wishes that Beca was there by her side.

The courthouse building stands tall and fierce before Chloe, its shadow towering over her, and it makes the assurance given by Aubrey's pep talk vanish into thin air.

She clutches the strap of her bag hanging from her shoulder and feels a gentle push to the small of her back. Casting her eyes sideways, she catches Aubrey's smile and remembers to breathe.

They make it to the top of the steps and go through security, Chloe's heartbeat picking up the nearer they get to the court entrance. It steadies though, when she catches sight of a familiar figure waiting by the large wooden doors, and she feels a huge weight being lifted off her shoulders.

"Beca," the name leaves her lips on its own accord as her legs carry her the rest of the way to where her girlfriend stands. "What are you…?"

Beca smiles and kisses her softly on the cheek, her hand seeking Chloe's. "Did you really think I wouldn't be here for the trial?"

Chloe blinks several times in confusion, "But- what about France?"

"I'm not going," Beca says, and Chloe lets her jaw drop, mouth gaping. "Not yet, at least. The awards are only in two days, and Jesse managed to get me out of the press stuff and ceremony beforehand. The manager over there wasn't happy but he'll get over it. It only got sorted late last night while I was still in Vegas, and we just got in an hour ago."

It's only then that Chloe notices Jesse and Stacie standing a couple yards away and her eyes shine with tears in gratitude. She has never felt more supported than she does now, and she's certain she has the best friends someone could ask for. And you know, her girlfriend is pretty amazing, too.

"I love you," Chloe whispers as she wraps her arms around Beca, and she hears Beca reciprocate her words, her own arms snaking around Chloe's waist.

"Ready for this?" Beca asks as she pulls away, thumb lightly grazing Chloe's hip back and forth.

Chloe takes a deep breath, like she has done many times already today, "As I'll ever be."

Beca's hand cup her cheek, a look of confidence painted on her face, "You've got this."

When they step into the courtroom, Chloe's nerves are back full force, seizing her stomach in a painful grip. The jury and the judge are not here yet. She spots the lawyer she's talked to over the last few weeks leading up to the trial sitting at the plaintiff table.

He comes to exchange a few words with her, and tells her she'll be the last one to go on the list of eight witnesses.

Chloe hears the swooshing noise of the flapping doors and it's not long before a familiar form appears in her peripherical. Her eyes snap up and her blood turns cold when Greg walks past her. As if sensing her distress, he stops, and turns toward her, ignoring the hiss of his own lawyer to keep walking.

"Hello, Chloe," he greets with a warm smile and a soft voice, as though he hadn't treated her like a punching-bag six months ago."How are you?"

Chloe feels an icy chill travel down her spine and wants to say something, but her voice seems to have vanished in fear. A hand comes up to lie on the small of her back, and Chloe feels Beca's presence beside her without having to look.

"I'd advise you to walk away," She hears Aubrey's stern voice then, and finds her friend standing very close to Greg menacingly, "Talking to a victim before trial can only make it look bad for you."

Chloe watches as Greg's mouth opens and closes, but no words come out. Instead, he sets his jaw and glare at the blonde lawyer before resuming his walk to the defense table.

They take their seats then, on the first row behind the rail separating the audience from the actors of the trial. Chloe sits between Beca and Aubrey, rising when the judge and jury step in. When they resume to their seats, Beca weaves their fingers together before setting their joined hands on her lap. Chloe tries to smile but it comes out small and strained.

The two lawyers give their opening speech to the jury and shortly afterwards, the first witness steps on the stand. Then another one, and it goes on like this for close to an hour.

The defense lawyer doesn't mess around, poking and prodding the witnesses with precise questions. Aubrey has warned her about this, but it doesn't prevent Chloe's heart from leaping to her throat when she's called to the stand.

With a last squeeze from Beca, she drops her hand and take hesitant steps across the courtroom to the stand. She takes the oath and sits down, shrinking under the jury excruciating gazes. The interview is first led by the plaintiff, and it helps to ease Chloe's nerves; they have been over what kind of questions will be asked.

"Mrs. Logan, you've been married to Mr. Logan for four years, correct?"

"Four years and a half, now."

"And do you still live together?"

"No. I left him six months ago."

"Why's that, Mrs. Logan?"

"I left my husband because he was very controlling and violent."

The lawyer tilts his head, "When you say he was very controlling, what do you mean by that?"

"It started gradually. First, he got very jealous if I spoke with any man, that it be his friends or his co-workers. Then it spread to me talking to my own friends on social networks. After a while, he forbade me to do so and prevented me from going out without him. He controlled our finances, too. My paycheck would go to our joint bank account but he withdrew my access to it about two years ago. I was given a weekly allowance for grocery shopping."

At this, the lawyer handed out copies of the different bank accounts activities -Greg's, Chloe's and their joint one- to the judge and the jury.

"When did the controlling start?"

"About six months into our marriage, so four years ago."

"And the violence?"

"He first kicked me a month before I left him. That's when I started to realize that what he was doing was not okay."

"Were there other violent acts before that time?"

"Yes," Chloe says, her eyes starting to sting with emotion. Images and words play back and forth in her mind, and it prevents her from elaborating. Her palms get clammy and she rubs them against her dress pants.

"Mrs. Logan?"

She snaps her eyes up to the lawyer. She doesn't know how much has passed since she's last uttered a word. She realizes tears are running down her cheeks and wipes them away with the back of her hand.

"He, um, he would seize my arm or wrist, pull my hair and sometimes choke me until I was about to pass out. He also brought me down with words. Say that I wasn't worth anything, that I was a nobody compared to him."

"And how did that make you feel?"

"Many things. But first and foremost, he made me feel ashamed about myself and utterly alone. I didn't have anyone to talk to because he had cut everyone out of my life."

"When did you decide to leave him?"

Chloe knows the date without having to think about it, "It was February 5th, the day of the elections."

"Can you walk us through what happened that day?"

Chloe nods. Although some of the details from that night are still hazy, she's been trying to write them down with Aubrey over the last few months. She tells the court what happened in the alley, how he threatened to go after her friend.

"Then what happened?"

"We came back home, and he was very calm and collected. But the kind of calm that makes you shiver," Chloe swallows painfully and finds Aubrey's eyes in the audience. The blonde gives her an encouraging nod. "Then, I said I was sorry about his defeat and he snapped. He um, he threw his glass against the living room window and seized my arm to get me off the couch while sneering at me that all of this was my fault, and-" A sob catches in her throat, and she has to interrupt her speech to collect herself. Chloe swipes her fingers across her cheek once again but more tears seem to replace them the second they do.

"It's alright," the lawyer says with a kind smile. "Take your time."

"He punched me in the face and threw me into the wall where he-he pinned my arm behind my back and sprained my wrist. I-I left my balance and fell to the floor," Chloe looks down at her hands, because looking at Beca was a mistake. The distress on the brunette's face makes her heart ache. "He kicked me several times in the ribs afterwards. I don't remember how but my head knocked against the corner of the coffee table and I think that's when I lost consciousness. I-I don't really remember what happened next. I think I woke up and tried to reach for my phone but I couldn't move an inch. Then I was in the hospital."

She exhales as soon as she finishes her tale and the lawyer smiles at her after he's done passing out pictures of her injuries.

"Thank you, Mrs. Logan," he then nods toward the judge, "No further questions, your honor."

Chloe barely has time to gather her thoughts before the defense lawyer is in front of her. She asks Chloe very precise questions about the night of the election. Chloe fires back without a doubt in her mind, until the lawyer mentions Beca and all hell breaks loose in Chloe's brain.

"Mrs. Logan, what is your relationship with Ms. Beca Mitchell?"

The plaintiff lawyer shoots up from his seat, "Objection your honor, irrelevant."

The defense lawyer looks toward the judge, "It will be in a few questions."

The judge nods, "Overruled. The witness will answer."

Chloe's eyes briefly flicker to Beca before focusing back on the lawyer. "She's my girlfriend."

"Did you happen to see Ms. Mitchell before you left your husband?"

"A couple times, yes. We went for lunch and for a drink, here in New York," she then adds to the jury, "As friends."

"I thought you said that Mr. Logan forbade you to go out without him? That he made you cut everyone out of your life."

"Yes, he did, but-"

"Did you and Ms. Mitchell get romantically involved while she was here?"

Chloe blanches, feeling as if she's being forced to duck underwater. Aubrey mentioned they might bring Beca up but it doesn't make it easier.

"No, we did not. We were just friends."

The lawyer hums and shows the judge and a jury a piece of evidence. It's a photo of the two of them holding hands at LAX airport, and another one of Beca kissing her cheek on their last day in New York. Chloe has to admit; the angle of the photos makes it look like they are a couple.

"These photos were taken before Mrs. Logan left my client, I will let you be the judge of whether or not these acts are those of a couple. Mrs. Logan," Chloe's eyes snap up to meet the lawyer's, "Is it possible that you left Mr. Logan to be with Ms. Mitchell?"

"No!" Chloe cries out. "I left him because he _hit_ me."

"So when you left Mr. Logan, you expressed no romantic feeling toward Ms. Mitchell, whatsoever?"

"I…" Chloe's voice dies in her throat along with her confidence. "Maybe I did. But it isn't why-"

The lawyer turns her back to Chloe to go back to her chair. "No further questions, your honor."

Chloe comes down from the stand completely baffled and overwhelmed. They call a recess before hearing the last two witnesses, and Chloe walks out of the room without acknowledging her friends.

She steps outside the courthouse and takes in a huge gush of air, propping her hand against one of the pillars as she bends down to make the feeling of sickness that has settled in her stomach since the starts of the cross examination go away.

She doesn't know how long she stays there, until she feels a hand on the small of her back and straightens to find Beca by her side.

"I'm sorry," she whispers to the brunette, who frowns. "I didn't mean to drag you into this shit."

Beca takes her hand to lead her to one of the nearby benches. "I think I'm the one who insisted to help you six months ago," Beca says softly once they've sat. "Not the other way around. And I knew that the road ahead would be bumpy and not all rainbows and unicorns. So, don't apologize."

"But your career, there's gonna be articles about this-" Chloe starts, but Beca interrupts her with a shake of the head.

"My career isn't in jeopardy. Fans won't really care. I mean, they still buy albums from artists who are known to be violent with their girlfriends, so I don't know why they would stop buying my music when it's clear I don't agree with that kind of behavior. If anything, you might make me more popular," she adds with a wink and Chloe manages to laugh at her joke. "And even if it _were_ in jeopardy, you are a lot more important to me than a few awards on a shelf."

Good god, Chloe can't believe how lucky she is to have this woman in her life. She wants to create the award for _Best Girlfriend To Have Ever Graced The Face Of The Earth_ and hand it over to Beca right here, right now.

"You're so good to me," Chloe wipes her tears away and closes the gap between them to kiss Beca's cheek softly.

"Chloe?" Aubrey's voice interrupts them. Chloe pulls away and looks over her shoulder. "They are ready to resume."

The redhead nods and smooths down her shirt before standing. She walks alongside Aubrey to the courtroom, "You did good," Aubrey says. "I don't think what the defense lawyer proved will lead the jury into thinking he's innocent."

The two last witnesses to go are Chloe's doctor and her neighbor, the one that found her unconscious the night of the election and called 911. The two lawyers make their final speech, and the defense's main argument is that Chloe left Greg for Beca and accused him of abuse to get money. Aubrey scoffs and rolls her eyes upon hearing this, and it comforts Chloe a tiny bit.

There's another break for the jury to make their decision. Chloe takes the opportunity to freshen up in the bathroom while her friends go buy themselves a coffee. When she steps out of the ladies' bathroom, her step falters upon seeing Greg leaned against the opposite wall, his hands in his pockets.

"What are you doing here?" she drawls out coldly, grinding her teeth.

"I wanted to talk to you," Again, his tone is soft and his eyes show a kind of warmth, which brings Chloe back to when they first met.

Chloe keeps her chin high and purses her lips. "I don't think we should be talking."

"What are we doing, Chloe?" he sighs and rubs the back of his neck, "Throwing our marriage over a technicality?"

Chloe is blinded by murderous rage and she feels tiny bolts of lightning travel throughout her whole body. She clenches her fists, nails digging into her palms to stop herself from punching him.

"A technicality?!" Her voice rises, echoing into the large hallway just off the main entrance. "You've got to be _fucking_ kidding me, Greg," she approaches him, stopping mere inches from his face, not an ounce in her body about to back down. Partly because she knows he can't do anything to her out here, but mostly because he has some fucking nerve. "You manipulated me for years. You hurt me, Greg. More than anyone's ever hurt me before." She's seething, and it feels so damn good to get the words out without being afraid of the consequences. "This," she motions to the space separating the two of them with her pointer finger. "is over. The ship has sailed a _long_ time ago."

His upper lip twitches, a clear sign that he's getting upset. If anything, knowing that she's just got under his skin empowers Chloe to a greater level. "So you're just going to abandon me to go with that Beca chick? Come to your senses, Chloe."

"That's exactly what I'm going to do," Chloe says, "I'm in love with her. And the love I once had for you doesn't even come close to what I feel for Beca," Jealousy flashes into Greg's eyes. She has seen that look countless of times during their marriage, and each time felt afraid of him. Today, however, Chloe feels her chest soar in downright satisfaction.

She thinks back to Tom's words, which have never felt truer. "You've never had me, Greg. Part of my heart was always with her, and it will forever be, whatever the future has in store for us. And I know for a fact that she will _never_ hurt me the way you did." She narrows her eyes at him and her voice drops down to a murmur, "I hope you rot in jail."

Chloe doesn't wait around for an answer. She brushes past him to get back to the courtroom and knows that whatever his sentence is, she's just got what she came for; closure.

* * *

Greg is found guilty, and is sentenced to four years in jail for battery, assault and sexual harassment. Chloe feels like the sentence is fair; he pays for the four years he took away from her. She's hugged from all places when the sentence is announced, and knows there are tears glistening on her cheeks but doesn't really care.

She doesn't care either when she kisses Beca full on the lips in the middle of the courtroom. She does it for three reasons: because she's wanted to do that since seeing her girlfriend this morning, because kissing Beca in front of him is quite satisfactory (she knows he's watching), and most importantly, because she's just so fucking relieved.

They all go out for a drink that night, not to celebrate the fact that Greg has been sentenced to four years of misery, but the fact that Chloe can begin another chapter in her life without feeling afraid.

She and Beca stumble into Chloe's hotel room a good while later, slightly tipsy but grossly happy (Stacie's words when she left them ten minutes ago). When the door clicks shut, Chloe cups Beca's face with both hands and pulls her into a proper, more than thorough kiss which leaves Beca breathless. The kiss turns into something more tender, lips ghosting over each other's.

"I love you," Beca whispers against Chloe's lips as she wraps her arms around her waist. They start to sway to a dark room with no music, the only source of light coming from the streetlamps filtering through the window.

"Are you ready to start another chapter of your life, Chloe Beale?" Beca whispers as Chloe drapes her arms around her neck. Chloe struggles to make out Beca's eyes in the darkness, but when she does she gets lost in her gaze.

"More than ever. Still wanna be a part of it?"

Beca laughs and pecks Chloe's lips for good measure, "I thought that was pretty obvious. How about-" she stops mid-sentence and rests her forehead against Chloe's, "I have to leave for France tomorrow, so how about we start the first few lines of that chapter over there?"

Chloe's eyebrows shoot up to her hairline, "To France? As in the one on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean?"

Beca seems to struggle to keep her smile to herself, and it explodes into a wide grin across her face. "Pretty sure there's only one France, baby."

Chloe bites down on her bottom lip before her mouth stretches into a beaming smile, all teeth and dimples. "I could be down with that."

"Cool, 'cause I already got your ticket, and we're flying out tomorrow."

Chloe squeals loudly and pushes Beca onto the bed, before pulling her into one long kiss to make her shut up about having her ear canal permanently damaged.

* * *

 **Who else enjoyed Chloe's scene with Greg? ;)**

 **I guess I could have ended things here, because this chapter felt a bit like closure, but I like writing this so I'll keep going a few more chapters, something like 4 or 5 more. So if there's anything in particular that you would like to see, don't hesitate, I'll see if I can make it work with what I've written already.**

 **So I guess we're going to France next chapter. Well, I'm already here, but come along!**


	16. Ah, l'Amour

The plane touches down on the tarmac but Beca feels as though she is still thousands of feet up in the air. The evolvement in she and Chloe's relationship has her still pinching herself to make sure it's all real.

She and Chloe are together, Greg is in jail, and they are now on a trip to France that really feels like a honeymoon. Beca groans internally; her brain seems to be skipping steps ever since Chloe's kissed her when they came home from the club that day. It's not like she has the ring in her pocket or anything, that will be for way down the road. Chloe isn't even divorced yet and they have been together for less than a month. Yet, everything clicked into place so quickly that it feels as though they have been together for years.

She guesses that usually happens when you fall in love with your best friend and they happen to love you back. Beca didn't expect Chloe to make a move that night, and even less expected the redhead to tell her she loves her. That moment and what followed would probably be engraved in Beca's memory as one of the best of her life, yet. She's certain there will be plenty more of those that will hopefully involve Chloe in one way or another.

The trip to France is impromptu but more than needed, seeing as the two women, especially Chloe, were shoved into the spotlight after the trial, appearing in every national newspaper. It's not every day that the DA is arrested, and most of the press covered the subject along with photos of Chloe going in and leaving the courthouse surrounded by Beca and their friends.

She's pulled out of her reverie when a pair of soft lips are pressed to the apple of her cheek and cuts her eyes to Chloe who is literally bouncing off her seat.

"We're here!" the excitement in Chloe's voice is music to Beca's ears, and she's not able to delay her grin any longer.

"I know we are," Beca says, reaching out to entwine their fingers. She brings their joined hands to her mouth and presses a kiss to the back of Chloe's.

"I can't believe we're in France," Chloe gushes, looking out the tiny window as the plane stirs toward the airport building. "That's quite the romantic gesture you pulled there, Mitchell. I hope you know this sets my expectations very high for your next move."

"Romantic? Well I had to come here for work anyway, and I figured you wouldn't be too much of a burden, hence why I offered." Beca deadpans with a shrug.

She yelps when Chloe pinches her waist with her free hand and leans over the arm rest to kiss Chloe's pout away. 18-year-old Beca would be gagging from all the sappiness and PDA, but right now she feels too giddy and happy to care.

They disembark the plane a few minutes later, and are escorted to a car by two security agents. When they hit the pavement outside the airport, they are swarmed by a sea of paparazzi, and Beca grasps Chloe's hand tighter, fully aware that this is their outing as a couple.

They reach the car and scramble inside, Chloe exhaling once the door closes behind them.

"When did you get used to that?" the redhead asks Beca, her hand over her chest as she tries to control her breathing.

Beca makes a face, nose wrinkling. "I'm still not there, yet. Sometimes I wish I could just make music without all the glitter and fame that come with being successful." Her hand moves to rest on Chloe's knee. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Chloe assures her with a smile, covering her hand. "I don't mind the crowds that much anymore."

"Good. Because there will be a _lot_ of people tomorrow night, I don't want you to feel overwhelmed."

There's a pause. "I'm going to the awards, too?" Chloe asks with wide eyes, and Beca stifles a laugh, raising an eyebrow as she stares at her girlfriend in amusement.

"Did you think I was going to let you spend the night on your own in a hotel thousands of miles from home? I'm offended."

"I-I, no." Chloe shakes her head lightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I guess it was too last minute to get a ticket to the event. I think they sell out half-a-year ahead."

Beca frowns, "A ticket? Did you think you were out in the audience? Babe, you're going as my date."

If that's even humanly possible, Chloe's eyes double in size. "Wh-as your date?"

"Well, yeah, since you're my girlfriend and all," Beca gasps and takes her hand away from Chloe's leg, as if burned. "You _are_ still my girlfriend, right?"

She laughs when Chloe shoves her, and Beca reaches out to pull her against her, stealing a quick kiss. Since Chloe was coming along, Beca told Jesse that he could stay in the US and enjoy a week of vacation with Aubrey.

"But… I don't have anything to wear," Chloe says, eyes growing wide, and Beca can't help but laugh at her dramatics. Sometimes Chloe seems to forget that Beca is really successful, and while the brunette doesn't throw money out of the window, a dress isn't going to make that big of a dent in her paycheck.

"We're in Cannes, lots of designer stores lining up the streets, I think we'll find something for you. Plus, you could go wearing a potato sack, I'm sure you would look amazing."

It's Chloe's turn to roll her eyes, but there's now a light blush tinting her cheeks. She leans over to kiss Beca's shoulder and Beca wonders if the tingling sensation she feels every time Chloe kisses her will ever go away. "I'm already putting out, y'know. Your pick-up lines aren't needed."

They drop their suitcase at the hotel and change into more suitable clothes than yoga pants to get a late lunch downtown. As soon as they step outside, Beca watches as Chloe gets completely enthralled by the beauty of the architecture. It's her second time in Cannes herself, but it has always been for work, so she's never taken the time to actually do some sightseeing.

They choose a restaurant hidden in one of those narrow cobble streets, which thankfully still serve past 3 pm, and are led to a small table for two on the terrace. The waiter hands them menus, but Beca finds herself reading the badly translated card over and over again, without being able to remember any item on it. Yes, it's difficult to focus on something when her girlfriend (swoon) sits just across the table from her and is freaking fanning herself with the wine card, her hair tucked over one shoulder, leaving a side of her neck completely exposed.

Beca's eyes trail down the curve of Chloe's neck, the line broken by the large strap of the summer dress she opted for. Beca licks her lips and shakes her head lightly, tugging her mind out of the gutter.

"Vous avez choisi, mesdames?"

Beca is about to answer in her very limited Frenglish, but she doesn't have to. Perfect French (at least it sounds like it, but what does she know) is flowing out of Chloe's mouth as if she's been speaking it her entire life, and Beca feels her pulse thud against her skin as it quickens. A spike of desire shoots down her spine, and a visible shudder washes over her whole body. As if she needed any more reasons to find Chloe sexy, this is just the last straw.

"Beca, what do you want to eat?"

There's a very inappropriate one syllable answer on the tip of Beca's tongue, but she swallows it back along with her arousal. She scans through the dishes on the menus, before pointing to the _salade niçoise_.

"Et pour moi une salade végétarienne, s'il-vous-plaît. Est-ce que c'est possible d'avoir une bouteille de vin blanc également? Un sauvignon serait parfait."

Beca waits until the waiter goes back inside before she stares at Chloe, mouth hanging open in, she's sure, the most unflattering manner.

"You speak French?"

The answer is kind of obvious, unless the two of them have been speaking some sort of dialect that has nothing to do with French, but Beca doubts that.

"Oh," Chloe says in surprise, as if she had forgotten the fact. "Yeah. I thought you knew that."

Beca's eyebrows shoot up to her hairline, "Do I look like someone who's aware? So you let me embarrass myself babbling in the cab, _and_ at the hotel while you could speak it perfectly all along? Not cool, Beale."

Chloe giggles and nibbles on her bottom lip, a move that has Beca squirming in her seat. She's about ready to drag Chloe to the nearest bathroom. Or a supply closet. Anything with a door will do. She stomps her feet down on the pavement, toes curling in her sneakers to prevent herself from standing up and doing just that.

"My mother is a French teacher," Chloe explains, and stirring Beca's attention back to the conversation. "I read a lot of the books she taught to her middle-school students and I took French, too in middle school, high school and first three years of college."

Beca shakes her head at her, an impressed smile on her face, "Is there anything you're not good at?" She remembers Chloe's ice skating performance back in New York, and the way the redhead makes one with the piano.

To her surprise, the rhetorical question doesn't pull a smile on Chloe's face, and Beca watches in panic as tears slip down Chloe's cheeks.

"Chlo, baby?" Beca scoots her chair around the table to sit next to Chloe. She sets her hand on Chloe's forearm, her thumb running over smooth skin back and forth, while her other arm loops around Chloe's back, hand resting between her shoulder blades, "What's wrong?"

"Sorry," Chloe takes a deep breath and wipes at her cheeks, "These, uh, these are happy tears, don't worry."

Beca puffs out a breath, her shoulder slumping in relief.

"I'm just… not used to that, still. Being complimented."

Beca sets her jaw and hopes with all her might that Greg is _miserable_ in his cell. She sighs and brushes Chloe's face from her temple, pressing a lingering kiss there.

"Well you better get used to it, 'cause I'm not about to stop," She says, dropping her forehead against the side of Chloe's head. She feels Chloe's muscles stretch into a smile and mentally high-fives herself.

"When did you get so chivalrous?" Chloe asks, and Beca pulls away, but not before kissing Chloe's shoulder.

"What do you mean? I've always been like this," Beca deadpans, "Just as I've always been confident, outgoing and responsible."

Chloe rolls her eyes and swats Beca's arm lightly. Once they are done eating, the waiter and Chloe exchange a few words, and while Beca can't understand much French, flirting codes are universal.

She narrows her eyes at the waiter and smiles smugly when he cowers away, "Did he just hit on you?"

"He was just telling me the best places to check out while we're here." Chloe explains casually.

"Well, did he have to flirt while doing that?" Beca's not mad; far from it, and she trusts Chloe. But she knows that Chloe's a catch and is bound to be hit on. She just has to learn to live with it. Come to think of it, maybe having a ring on that finger on Chloe's left hand would help in that department.

"Beca," Chloe says with a laugh, reaching out to take her hand. "He recommended me the places he enjoys going to with his _boyfriend_."

"Oh."

Even though she has been dating women for close to five years, Beca's gaydar is terrible. Like, she's _clueless_.

"Besides, I only have eyes for you," Chloe assures her, and lifts Beca's hand to plant a kiss on her palm.

Beca wants to roll her eyes at all this sappy shit, but she's swooning instead. "Now, who's the chivalrous one?"

"Guilty," Chloe admits with a shrug, clearly not eaten by said guilt. "You do know that, right? That I'm not interested in anybody else but _you_."

Beca feels every single inch of skin on her body ignite into flames. She's seriously considering buying that ring right now.

She closes the gap between them and captures Chloe's bottom lip between hers, nipping the flesh softly before she deepens the kiss, fingers gripping onto red locks as Chloe responds eagerly, cupping her neck to hold her even closer.

Beca doesn't know how long that kiss lasts; she's too wrapped up in Chloe to care, until there's an awkward clear of the throat which springs them apart. The waiter is definitely blushing when he sets the two cups of coffee down on the table, and Beca smiles smugly.

Gay or not, she is satisfied to have claimed her stake.

* * *

They go dress shopping for Chloe after that, and while Beca loathes clothing stores with a passion, she can't say that watching Chloe try on several form-fitting dresses is _that_ awful.

She insists that Chloe get the green one, because it's Beca's favorite color on her, and mostly because she has to give a reason to make a choice at some point; let's face it, all of them dresses look amazing on Chloe's body anyway.

They stop by the lingerie section after that, because the dress is strapless, and Chloe didn't pack any fitting bras. Chloe quickly finds what she's looking for, a lacy black strapless bra, and Beca grabs her hand when she's about to go to check-out, stopping her.

"I think you should get the matching set," Beca murmurs, tucking her fingers inside the pockets of Chloe's jean jacket, pulling her flush against her body. She brushes her lips against Chloe's in a light kiss.

"Do you now?" Chloe counters with an arched eyebrow, draping an arm around Beca's neck, fingers threading through dark tresses.

"Mmm," Beca hums, eyes quickly scanning through the display rack until they find what they're looking for. She finds the right size and adds it to their basket. "There, much better."

She wants to add that she can't wait to rip the set off Chloe's body tonight, but she knows there wouldn't be any coming back from this if she voices her thoughts, and they have to be with her make-up team within the next half-hour.

* * *

When they get to the red carpet, Beca decides to take a moment to greet the fans standing and howling behind a barrier, and Chloe lags behind slightly, until she's too asked for an autograph and a selfie. Beca laughs at her surprised expression and signs one last photo of herself -which is pretty weird, and she's not sure she will ever get used to it-, before walking back to where Chloe's standing.

She reaches for Chloe's hand and threads her fingers with hers, pulling her slightly towards the red carpet.

"Maybe you should go on your own, Beca," Beca's publicist suggests as they wait for their slot to stand in front of the photographers. Beca frowns, looking from Anne to Chloe.

"What? No."

"Beca…" Anne sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. "No public statement has been released yet, and nobody knows Chloe." She looks at Chloe apologetically, "No offense."

Chloe waves it off, but Beca isn't having any of it. As much as she likes Anne and her true professionalism, Beca thinks it wouldn't hurt if she let loose a little, sometimes. It's not the freaking Academy Awards.

"It's fine, Becs." Chloe is the one speaking now, and Beca feels a squeeze to her hand.

"No, it's not." She directs with a soft tone to Chloe, which turns icy when she addresses her publicist. "I don't really care if I didn't make any statement or not."

"Okay," Anna concedes, "Just go in first, give them a few photos of just you, and then Chloe will join you."

Beca sighs, "Fine."

And when Chloe steps on the red carpet a few minutes later, the photographers look like they are about to lose it. The shouts get louder and Chloe looks a bit shook by it, and Beca wraps an arm around her waist to ground her. After a few seconds though, Chloe relaxes and is now definitely stealing Beca's thunder without really meaning to. Beca doesn't care and isn't surprised, because her girlfriend looks really hot and deserves the attention.

They get to the entrance of the Palais and Beca starts to feel the nerves unravel in her stomach. It's always that way when she's about to perform, but it's heightened by the fact that she will be performing in front of other artists, some of them she's admired her entire life. Names pop up like Beyoncé, Bruno Mars or Katy Perry, who will all be sitting in the audience tonight, probably expecting Beca to mess up. Chloe must sense it because she's pulling Beca off to the side, in a secluded corner, before her publicist can lead her backstage to change into her performing outfit.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asks, concern etched on her face as her eyes find Beca's.

"Nothing, I just… I always get nervous before I perform."

Chloe reaches up to brush a strand of hair from Beca's face, fingers trailing down Beca's cheek and chin. "You have the complexion of a ghost."

"Gee, way to make a girl feel good about herself," Beca jokes and Chloe's giggles chase away the dread from her stomach to be replaced by tiny flutters.

"You are amazing," Chloe whispers, leaning her forehead against Beca's, and the brunette loses herself in the intense blue staring back at her. "You're going to rock this, like you always do. Music runs through your veins, I don't know how you could possibly mess this up. You've _got_ this."

Beca nods as she takes a deep breath and then exhales steadily, "Okay, yeah."

"I love you," Chloe murmurs and presses a quick kiss to Beca's lips. "Go rock everyone's evening."

Beca doesn't have to force the grin that spreads over her face, "I love you, too."

She kisses Chloe one last time before Anne ushers her backstage. She changes into the outfit she's given by an assistant and then there are three people around her to adjust her make-up and fluff her hair.

Beca greets her fans when she steps onto the stage, and as soon as she places her large headphones over one ear, she feels at home. She starts off by her Titanium + Bulletproof mix, and the crowd goes wild. She plays four songs, before fading out to leave the stage for The Weeknd.

* * *

The after-party is crowded when they get there. Beca goes to the open bar to fetch she and Chloe some drinks, and is stopped by freaking Pink on the way back, who congratulates her for her performance. She's shocked to say the least, and when after a few minutes exchanging pleasantries, Pink tells her she wants to work with her, she almost drops the two cocktails in her hands. Pink hands her the card of her manager and tells Beca to call him.

Beca catches sight of Chloe standing alone by the entrance and immediately feels guilty. She doesn't know how long she spoke with the blonde singer, but it must have been a good ten minutes since she parted with Chloe, and the redhead doesn't know anyone here.

"Sorry, Chlo," she calls out as she gets to Chloe's level, "Got sidetracked. Are you good?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Chloe says as she accepts the glass.

"Are you sure?" Beca doesn't want Chloe to think she's being overly protective; but the last time Chloe was surrounded by so many people, it triggered a PTSD episode that Beca isn't about to let re-enact, because it scared the shit out of her. "Because we don't have to stay if you're too uncomfortable."

"I'm okay baby, I promise," Chloe murmurs into Beca's ear over the loud music. "Thank you for asking, though."

Beca nods and takes a sip from her cocktail, wincing at the amount of alcohol in there. "So… Pink wants to work with me."

Chloe's mouth hangs open as she stares at Beca, "What?!"

"Yeah," Beca ducks her head and rubs the back of her neck. "Crazy, right? She gave me her manager's contact and well… shit, Pink wants to work with me."

She covers her face with her free hand and hears Chloe let out a laugh that sounds somewhat watery, and then the taller woman is pulling Beca's hand away from her own face. Chloe kisses her, full and slow, lips gently gliding against hers, until the lack of oxygen makes them break apart.

"I'm not surprised," Chloe whispers, her forehead resting against Beca's, wisps of hair tickling Beca's cheek. "You're so talented and I'm so, so proud of you."

Beca still sucks at accepting compliments, so she settles for kissing Chloe again to show her appreciation. Chloe then announces she's going on a bathroom break, and that it might be long because of the maze she's in with her dress.

"Well, well Beca Mitchell," Beca hears a distinctive purring voice behind her a few minutes later and rolls her eyes, turning around to come face to face with her ex-girlfriend.

"Clara," she drawls out, trying to keep herself from making a face. "Fancy seeing you here."

"I'll say," Clara says with a wiggle of the eyebrows, her eyes traveling up and down Beca's body. "You look hot."

"What do you want?" Beca asks, clearly not patient enough for Clara's game.

"I think I made a mistake letting you go," She admits, and to her credit, Clara looks sincere as she comes closer to Beca, teeth sunk into her bottom lip.

"Jesus, even the bathroom is fancy."

There's a short moment after Chloe gets back to Beca and she sets her eyes on Clara during which Beca could hear a pin drop. From the look on Chloe's face, she remembers exactly who Clara is from the picture at Stacie's house, while the latter looks at Chloe as if she didn't belong here.

Beca grimaces and sets her jaw, "Chloe, this is Clara," Beca finds herself waving her hand between the two women, currently engaged in a glaring match. "Clara, this is Chloe, my girlfriend."

And while Chloe's lips tug into a small smile upon the term Beca's used, it's quickly swept away by overbearing jealousy that Beca can feel radiate off Chloe's body.

"Ah," Clara says in surprise, staring at Beca as if to make sure she's heard correctly. Then, her eyes set on Chloe with a mischievous glint as she extends her hand. "Nice to meet you, Chloe."

"Likewise," Chloe says, her tone clipped as she forces a smile. Meanwhile, Beca stifles a laugh, because Chloe has always sucked at hiding her true feelings.

"So you are the one who managed to tame _the_ Beca Mitchell, huh?" Clara says cheekily, bumping her fist against Beca's shoulder, and Beca is about to tell her to fuck off. "Even when we were together she was a wild one."

Chloe raises an eyebrow at that, gaze curious as it finds Beca's. Beca lets out a frustrated sigh and stiffens when Clara wraps an arm around her shoulder and she shrugs it off.

"But we parted on good terms, right, Becs?"

The use of Beca's nickname that Beca only lets Chloe use seems to be the last straw for the older woman. Chloe's eyes squint slightly, and Beca sees her fists clench and unclench by her sides.

Beca isn't sure how the next seconds are going to go down. She hopes it doesn't turn into a catfight, because as hot as it would be, she doesn't want to be what everyone talks about after the party.

"I'm sorry, did you need something?" Chloe asks in an odd, cheerful tone, but Beca knows her well enough to know that the show is just about to go down. "A drink, a snack, or maybe the actual proof that Beca isn't interested in you anymore?" She raises both eyebrows and waves a hand to her own body, looking Clara up and down in the process. "Cause it's right here."

Chloe's flow is so slick that Beca wants to add a 'buuuuurn!' but she's too busy trying to pick her jaw up the floor and not pounce on her girlfriend to kiss her senseless. She hasn't witnessed this Chloe in a very long time and it brings a familiar throbbing to her core.

Clara is left kind of speechless, mouth gaping open like a fish, while Chloe smirks evilly and slurs, "If you'll excuse us."

Her voice is dripping with smugness and Beca lets out a strangled noise when Chloe drags her by the hand toward the bathrooms.

Chloe leads her into one of the cubicles, swiftly locking it behind them, and Beca barely has time to register what's happening before she's pressed against the shut door and hungry lips seek out hers.

She moans in a mix of surprise and approval, trying to meet Chloe's frantic pace of push and pull. She feels Chloe's fingers slip in her dark tresses and tug lightly, and Beca feels overwhelmed by the sudden aggressiveness in Chloe's actions.

She's not complaining, far from it, she's just a bit dazed. While she and Chloe have engaged in a lot of bedroom activities since getting together, it was always soft, patient and tender. This, is something else and Beca relishes Chloe taking control.

Beca gasps when Chloe abandons her lips to start a trail of open mouthed kisses down Beca's jaw and neck, taking the time to suck on her pulse point. Beca hisses as she bites and sucks her skin, presumably leaving a mark, a warm tongue then darting out to sooth the spot. There's a definite hickey now and Chloe's fucking _smirking_ as she admires her handy work.

Beca barely has time to recover; Chloe's hands are everywhere at the same time; in Beca's hair, gripping her hips or squeezing her ass.

"Jesus," Beca croaks out, hips bucking against Chloe's as she bites on her ear lobe.

"It's Chloe," the redhead husks into her ear with a smug smile, looking at Beca for the first time since they shuffled into the small space. While Beca would usually fire something back at such a cheesy and smug comment, she's too focused on breathing properly and not making too much noise as Chloe's palm curve around her breast, finger running over her covered nipple. "You're so sexy."

Beca grunts, eyes slipping shut and head dropping back against the wooden door supporting her weight when one of Chloe's hand slip under her tight short dress, hiking it up as best as she can. Said hand moves to the inside of Beca's thigh until slender fingers push her underwear aside and graze her clit.

Beca briefly apprehends the fact that they are at an award show, in a bathroom stall, and that anyone could walk in the room and hear them having sex, but that thought vanishes into thin air when two fingers slip inside her heat without so much as a warning. Beca was so ready for this though, that they glide easily and curl heavenly in just the right spot. She groans and moves her arm up to grip the upper part of the door as Chloe's lips glue themselves to her neck.

"Fuck, Chlo," Beca's eyes partly open and she's biting on her bottom lip to prevent the moan from escaping as her hips move to meet the rhythm set by Chloe. It matches the pounding music outside and Beca feels herself getting intoxicated, lost in the sensations invading her body as she feels her climax slowly building up. Her breathing gets erratic, especially now that Chloe's brought her thumb on her bundle of nerves, drawing precise circles that have Beca struggling to keep quiet.

"Come for me," Chloe's pure sex-voice purrs into her ear and an explosion of stars blinds Beca as her orgasm rips through her, her cry of pleasure swallowed by Chloe's mouth on hers. Chloe lets her ride it out before she pulls out, and Beca knows she's a mess of wobbliness, legs shaking from the force of her climax.

"Holy shit," is all Beca manages to say as she slowly comes down from her high, slumping against the door. Chloe's arm supports her around the waist. "I'm gonna need a minute."

Chloe chuckles against her shoulder, mouth stretching into a grin against Beca's skin. "I hope I wasn't too rough?"

"Heck no," Beca says hastily while trying to regain her breathing. "That was fucking amazing. You taking over control is the hottest thing I've ever witnessed."

Chloe is now blushing furiously, and she buries her head further into Beca's neck, breath tickling Beca's sensitive skin. "Sorry I acted like a douchebag back there. She infuriated me."

Beca is seriously considering thanking Clara for getting Chloe this riled up. "God, don't apologize. I kinda dig jealous Chloe."

Chloe looks up, head tilting to the side, "Yeah?"

Beca nods, "Definitely. Wanna go back to the hotel?" she asks, hands gripping Chloe's hips. "I can think of a few things to do over there."

"Definitely."

* * *

 ** **Thank you for the amazing response on last chapter! For those of you who wanted to see jealous Chloe and one of Beca's ex, hope you're satisfied.****

 **Translations:**

 ***Are you ready to order?**

 ****For me a vegetarian salad. Could we order a bottle of white wine as well? A sauvignon would be great.**


	17. Free

"Can I ask you something?" Seemingly lost in her thoughts, Beca hums, casting her eyes to Chloe's. They left the party ten minutes ago and since the night is still warm, decided to walk back to the hotel instead of hailing a cab, cutting by the beach.

The sand is cool beneath Chloe's feet, a contrast to the warmth Beca's arm around her form provides.

"Anything."

"I didn't want to let it bother me, but… what did Clara mean when she said you were a wild one when you two were together? I don't want to trust anything she says but I can't help wondering."

Chloe doesn't miss the way Beca tenses and how her face contracts into a wince. She feels her stomach tighten unpleasantly in anticipation of the next words to leave Beca's mouth.

"I know I told you Clara and I were in a relationship, but we weren't… exclusive per say, at least in the beginning."

"So you still slept with other people?"

"Yeah. But then Clara wanted to get exclusive so for one year I only dated her, but then she wanted to commit, and I freaked out. I told her that I didn't know if I would ever be ready for such a thing and she said she couldn't do that, so she broke up with me, and I didn't put much of a fight."

"Oh." Chloe lets out and her palms start to sweat in discomfort. She tries not to feel upset about something Beca did before they were even together, but can't ignore the flood of insecurity drowning her.

"I-" Chloe cuts herself off, vision getting blurry and unfocused. Imagining Beca being intimate with someone else makes her guts tighten and twist in jealousy. "Are-Are we exclusive?"

"What?" Beca immediately lets out with a laugh, eyes wide with bewilderment, as if Chloe said something hard to believe. The brunette sobers up when she realizes Chloe is dead serious. Chloe feels Beca's hand grip hers tightly. "Of course we are. I mean, I thought that was pretty obvious."

"It was to me, until now," Her insecurity must show, because Beca drops her shoes into the sand to cup Chloe's jaw, tugging her closer.

Beca's thumb strokes along Chloe's cheek slowly, and the redhead closes her eyes briefly, relishing the feeling of Beca's fingers tracing her skin. "I guess I was never interested in a relationship before because none of the people I've been with were you… I've never wanted to commit to someone because part of me was still hoping you would come around at some point, and we would have another shot at this."

Chloe feels herself get short of breath as she stares into the deep blue of Beca's eyes. They are twinkling in the gleam of the moonlight and hold such honesty that Chloe suddenly loathes herself for ever doubting Beca's intentions.

Before she can form an apology of some sort, Beca's speaking again, "I'm sorry, the last thing I want is for you to feel insecure about our relationship… I uh, I'm not very good at all this. This is the first relationship I've been in that really matters to me and I'm freaking nervous of messing this up. I don't want to mess anything up when it comes to you."

Chloe stares at her in disbelief, and seeing as Beca is about to say something else, places her pointer finger over her lips, stopping her presumable rant, "Do you not realize how amazing you've been to me for the last six months? I don't know how you could possibly mess this up."

Chloe's hand drifts from Beca's lips down her jaw until she's cupping Beca's neck, tugging lightly for Beca's lips to meet hers in a slow kiss.

You…" The word ghosts over Chloe's lips as Beca parts from the kiss. Beca casts her eyes downwards, focusing on their entwined hands, then draws in a deep breath. The way Beca looks at her when she lifts her eyes again knocks the breath out of Chloe's lungs. "You know you're _it_ , right? Like… like my soulmate."

Chloe's body is swept away by a wave of unconditional love radiating off the woman standing in front of her. She doesn't think that they are words powerful enough to translate the turmoil of feelings unraveling in her chest right now, so she shows Beca instead. She slowly closes the gap between them and presses her lips to Beca fully, drawing a sigh from the brunette as she tilts her head just the right angle to deepen the kiss.

Her right-hand drifts from where it has been resting on the back of Beca's neck, down her back and around her waist, decimating the scant distance left between their bodies with a pull. She swallows Beca's whimper as she opens her mouth, tracing her tongue over Beca's bottom lip. Her palm burns as it curls around Beca's hip, itching to tug the shorter woman even closer, if that's even physically possible. They part with respective sighs, before their mouths meet again, and again, like a flawless ballet of dancing lips.

The sound of the ocean swooshing against the sand back and forth as it slides in and pulls back creates a cocoon around the couple, shielding them from the outside world.

"I'm sorry for doubting your intentions," Chloe whispers across Beca's lips when their kiss comes to an end, looking at Beca through her eyelashes. "And I trust you, Beca. And I know you would never hurt me, I guess I got kinda worried because hot dancers can't seem to resist you. And I… I'm just Chloe."

While she showed a confident side of herself long enough to make Clara shut up, she can't shake the sensation of not feeling as sexy as she used to. That and the fact that Beca's own body and fame could make her have anyone she wants is unsettling.

"Are you serious right now?" Beca asks, wonder etched on her features. "You… your body is unbelievable. And I feel such hatred towards him for letting you believe otherwise." She kisses Chloe once more, as if to emphasize her words, and smirks, "Besides why would I want to be with any other woman when I have the sexiest, and most beautiful one right here in front of me?"

Chloe cracks a smile and shakes her head at Beca, though she can feel the tip of her ears turn pink. She feels the heavy atmosphere shift to a playful one, and her concern dissipates into thin air as she lets out a laugh. "That was _awful_ , baby."

"You're right," Beca plays along, rolling her eyes. "I only keep you around because you're bold enough to fuck me in a bathroom stall during an award show."

Chloe winks, "Still not over that?"

"You should be flattered," the brunette says, bumping her nose against Chloe's, before pecking her lips.

"Oh, I am," Chloe purrs into Beca's ear, taking the opportunity to graze Beca's earlobe with her teeth, enjoying the way Beca's breathing sharpens. "But watching you come for me the way you did really turned me on and we need to do something about it, _soon_."

Beca growls under her breath, and her eyes bleed with desire when she glances up at Chloe, the look alone making Chloe's legs quiver. "Fuck. Let's go,"

Beca bends down to retrieve her shoes from the ground and tugs on Chloe's hand, nearly stumbling in the sand in her haste to get to the hotel. The rest of the way there is slow, as they stop every few yards to kiss one another like horny teenagers. It's past two in the morning when they get to their room and Beca kisses Chloe the second the door has clicked shut behind them.

Beca's fingers fiddle with the zipper of Chloe's dress, as Chloe backs her up until her knees hit the bed. Beca sits down just as the dress pools down to Chloe's feet and her eyes wander up and down Chloe's body with hungry eyes.

Chloe watches as Beca bites her lip at the sight of the matching underwear set they bought earlier that day, and the redhead smiles wickedly, moving to straddle her girlfriend. Beca's hands curl around Chloe's hips and Chloe ducks down, meeting Beca's lips in a bruising kiss that leaves them both chasing their breaths.

"You're so goddman beautiful," Beca murmurs against Chloe's mouth, and Chloe lets out a lustful whimper, rocking her hips once as Beca's lips attach to her pulse point. Chloe's eyes slip shut, a gasp escaping her parted mouth when Beca slides her hand down her stomach and past the lacy material, fingers gliding between her legs. The redhead grips a handful of the bed sheets, as Beca bites her neck, "So, so sexy."

"Bec," Chloe stops short, unable to form any kind of sentence as her body jolts with a sudden bolt of pleasure that travels down her spine. "I need-"

"What do you need?" Beca's voice is dripping with lust, breathing hot on Chloe's skin as she pants into her neck. Her other hand comes up to tilt Chloe's chin towards her, crystal blue orbs meeting Beca's navy ones. Chloe feels her skin burn under Beca's darkened eyes. "Tell me."

"I need-" she tries to keep her eyes open but they roll to the back of her head when Beca's thumb swipes over her bundle of nerves. "I need you," she lets out through a gasp, managing to lift her drooping eyelids to lock eyes with Beca as she utters the rest of her request, "To make love to me."

To emphasize her desperation, she rolls her hips once, and the noise that leaves Beca's throat doesn't even sound human at all and it almost causes Chloe to come undone right there on the spot.

Slender fingers push into her, while teeth bite down on the exposed upper part of her breast, and Chloe is almost certain her brain is about to short-circuit from both sensations. Beca's fingers twist, curl, pull out and slide back in and Chloe's hips meet every thrust, losing herself into the frantic rhythm until she comes with a cry, burying her head into Beca's neck.

Her hips buck as she rides out of her climax, forehead dropping against Beca's collarbone. She feels fingers brush strands of hair away from her glistening skin and soft lips peppering feather light kisses along her neck and jaw as her body collapses against Beca's chest. Her eyelids droop in the aftermath of her orgasm and she feels Beca nuzzle her temple before pressing a kiss there. A moment passes, during which Chloe manages to regain her breathing, and Beca nudges her shoulder with hers.

"Did you want to sleep like this?" she teases, "Cause I would rather lie down."

"Oh, right," Chloe whispers, realizing she's still straddling Beca. She moves off her and rolls down on the bed to lie on her back. She stares at the ceiling for several minutes while Beca changes, her mind wondering how her life turned completely upside down in the last six months. It still feels unreal to Chloe, and she has to pinch herself from time to time to make sure she isn't dreaming.

The bed dips next to her and she twists her head to look at Beca, who's sitting on her knees, in an oversized T-shirt and her underwear. Her face is free of the heavy make-up she wore for her performance and her dark hair has been tugged down from its tight ponytail to fall in neat waves past her shoulders.

"What are you thinking about?" Beca voices, waving her fingers through Chloe's as she sits back on her heels. Chloe rolls onto her side and presses a kiss to Beca's wrist, letting them linger long enough to feel the strong thud of her pulse.

"Nothing much, just… still in a daze that this is my life now. In the last six months I left my abusive husband, moved to LA and fell in love with my best friend. That's quite the 180° turn I made."

Beca hums in agreement, thumb stroking the back of Chloe's hand. "I'm glad you did. Leave Greg, I mean." Sheepishly, she adds, "And well, I guess I'm glad you fell in love with me, too."

Chloe gives her a lopsided smile, "You know, a few days before that night at the club, I got coffee with Tom while you were in New York and he was the one who convinced me to make a move."

"Tom?" Beca scoffs, eyebrows almost raised to her hairline, "And here I was, jealous that he was back in your life and might steal you from me."

Laughter bubbles inside Chloe's chest, "Yeah, you didn't hide it very well that night. It was then that I actually realized you might have feelings for me."

Beca eventually lies down next to her, and lets go of her hand in favor of draping an arm over Chloe's bare midsection while her other arm bends to prop her head up as she hovers slightly. "So how did Tom convince you? So that I know if I should thank him."

So Chloe tells her about the conversation she had with Tom, from how he saw she was attracted to Beca when they were at Barden, to how his words helped her let go of her fears.

"It's kinda unbelievable how obvious it was to our friends that we were attracted to each other all this time while we had no clue."

"Yeah, I guess we've been really blind."

Part of Chloe wonders how her life would have turned out had she admitted her feeling for Beca after their night together after the Worlds. Maybe, just maybe she wouldn't have met Greg, and wouldn't have gone through all those things.

"Where'd you go?" Beca's murmur pulls her back to their hotel room, and she shakes her head lightly. She stops her brain from dwelling further into the box of what ifs and should haves,

"Nowhere important."

She shuts that door to the past and wills herself to live in the present, because that's where the love of her life lives, and that's the only thing that matters.

* * *

"Alright!" Beca exclaims, closing the trunk of their rental car. She comes around to open the passenger door and bows in an exaggerated way to Chloe, "After you, m'lady."

Chloe rolls her eyes for show, but her insides swoon over the gesture. Beca closes the door after her and slips behind the wheel a second later. She fiddles for a minute with the GPS, before huffing and claiming that it should have international settings. Chloe pries it from her impatient hands and enters their destination, a national park located two hours away.

Chloe fiddles with the radio the first few minutes, before she turns to Beca, "Do you have any mixes with you?"

"Yeah, there's probably a flash drive in my computer bag."

Chloe twists in her seat to grab the bag and fishes two flash drives out from the front pocket. She plugs it into the USB reader and presses play. She's surprised when her own voice fills the vehicle through the speakers, and Beca is quick to fiddle with the volume knob to bring the volume down.

"Wrong flash drive," She squeaks, face flushing a deep scarlet. Chloe bats her hand away, gripping Bec's fingers to keep them off the radio, and turns the volume back up to listen to her own cover of _Cosmic Love_. It's not a mix, like she expected, but the actual raw version recorded in the studio.

"I didn't know you recorded this," She tells Beca, who glances at her briefly.

"I, uh, yeah," Beca sputters, ears now pink as well, "This is my, uh, 'Chloe' flashdrive," It seems to be embarrassing to admit, and Chloe arches an eyebrow. "You weren't supposed to hear it, like, _ever_."

"Your 'Chloe' flashdrive?" Chloe inquires, struggling to keep her massive grin in check as her heart thumps against her ribcage.

Beca sighs, and Chloe rights herself in her seat, eager to hear the explanation behind this, as she twists her upper body to look at Beca more properly. "You know how sometimes you keep a box with like, souvenirs from your exes?"

"Of course."

"Well, this flash drive is like my own Chloe music box. It has all the songs that make me think of you on there, and I listened to it many times when we lost touch and until we met again." Beca shrugs and spares Chloe a glance, "I just added this song a couple months ago because I love your rendition."

"Oh my god," Chloe's grin is about to split her face and she leans over the console to press her lips to Beca's cheek. "You are _so_ cute."

A series of grumbles leaves Beca's mouth in protest and Chloe can see her roll her eyes behind her sunglasses.

"Can I listen to the rest?" she asks giddily, squirming in her seat. She asks because it's the polite thing to do, but she's ready to bribe Beca if the answer is negative. The second Beca nods, she presses play and shuffles through all the songs over the drive. The playlist includes of course _Titanium_ but also melancholic songs such as _All I Need_ from Kodaline or _Rivers_ by Leon Bridges. _Just the Way You Are_ or _I Saw the Sign_ (that one has Chloe burst out laughing and Beca swatting her arm) are some of the upbeat songs to which they goofily sing along until they reach their destination.

They hike up a steep trail for about half an hour. Beca whines every few minutes about exercise not being included in the vacation-package, but Chloe tells her that sex is a form of exercise, and asks her if they should cut that out, too. That efficiently shuts her up. Eventually, they reach the edge of a small cliff below which a small cove is tucked.

"Okay, this might have been worth it." Beca puffs out as she stares at the turquoise water and sandy beach below them.

Chloe hums in agreement and grips Beca's hand, tugging her toward the trail leading down to the mostly empty beach. The tide is high and only leaves little space to settle down, so as soon as her feet hits the sand, she swiftly pulls her dress of her body and lies it on the ground next to her bag. She hears a strangled grunt behind her and purposefully adds a bit of sway to her hips as she walks towards the sea.

When the water hits her lower stomach, she spins around, hands on her waist, to find Beca's eyes roaming over her body.

"You coming babe?" she calls out, brushing a wisp of hair back behind her ear. Beca gets rid of her shorts and tops, and Chloe's mouth is suddenly dried up.

"What's got you so star struck?" Beca asks cheekily, coming to a stop in front of the redhead, arm loosely snaking around Chloe's waist, one eyebrow sticking out in a raise above the rim of her sunglasses.

"My sexy girlfriend," Chloe replies without missing a beat and watches with a smirk as Beca flushes.

Despite her cocky attitude, Beca still can't take a compliment after all these years and Chloe finds it _adorable_.

"Stop eye-fucking me," Beca warns when Chloe's eyes can't seem to be able to stop drink in her body. Beca's own eyes dart out to the beach where a few people are lounging about. "We're in public."

"Hard to do," Chloe counters with a wiggle of the eyebrows, orbs tracing Beca's well defined abs (the girl hardly ever works out, Chloe wonders how she's that toned), before traveling back up. "You're not seeing what I'm seeing."

Even though Beca has her sunglasses on, Chloe can tell she's rolling her eyes behind the polarizing glass. Chloe leans in, teeth grazing Beca's earlobe drawing a sharp breath from her, "Besides, you didn't have any problem letting me take you in that bathroom when anyone could walk in."

A whimper escapes Beca's lips just as a bigger wave hits their sides, and Chloe reaches out to steady them against the force of it, the motion fusing their bodies together. She steals a quick kiss before letting go completely to walk further towards the open sea, leaving a flustered Beca behind.

They stop at a restaurant on their way back, and get drunk on expensive wine.

"I think I might just move here," Beca announces after popping yet another piece of cheese into her mouth. Chloe is shaking her head at her and her never-ending appetite. For such a small person, she sure does eat a lot. "I could make music here and you could become a ESL teacher or something, and we would taste every single French wine there is."

Butterflies erupt inside Chloe's bellies upon hearing Beca including her in her future projects; her worries from the night before are nowhere in sight. She reaches across the table and laces her fingers through Beca's.

"Baby, you would get fat on cheese."

Beca's jaw drops through a gasp, and she takes a piece of cheese between her fingers to toss it at Chloe. It bounces off her cheek and into her empty plate. "Bitch."

"Bec, you can't play with food in a gourmet restaurant."

"Yeah, well, 'snot the first time we do inappropriate things in public places," Beca fires back with a flirty wink, and Chloe feels a rush of heat to her face and neck. She recovers quickly, just as Beca lifts her glass to take a sip.

"I know, I'm looking forward to that plane ride back home, if you know what I mean."

From the way Beca almost chokes on the wine, Chloe is sure she got the meaning.

* * *

Chloe is hit by a reality check when they touch down at LAX. They have spent an amazing week in France, cooped up in their own little bliss. As soon as they step out of the airport, the paparazzi are there, firing questions at them and Chloe can't say she's missed them. Beca's phone is swarmed with texts and calls and she only has time to drop Chloe off at her house before she has to speed to work.

Being alone in Beca's home after spending a wonderful month attached to Beca's hip feels weird and Chloe is hit by a sudden case of Monday blues. She unsets the alarm after she comes in, picking up the mail which accumulated behind the front door since they have been away. She sets it on the kitchen island and moves around the house to open each blind and busies herself checking her facebook and her mail.

Chloe has just settled down to read the new book she picked up while in France when her phone lights up with a photo from Beca. It's a pouting selfie, and the caption reads,

 _Stuck at work. Might be a while, don't wait up. Love you xx_

Chloe sighs softly and tries not to feel too disappointed. She knows Beca taking impromptu vacation would have some mean she'd have to work more when she gets back.

She eats dinner in front of Netflix and soon the weight of jet lag lets itself known and Chloe dozes off a few minutes later in Beca's bed. She's woken up sometime later to the click of the door being shut and rubs her eyes sleepily. She hears some rustling and shuffling, the bathroom light being turned on, as well as the faucet a second later, and then they are off and the bed dips behind her. She turns on her back to look at her girlfriend.

"Hey," Beca says softly, hand running up and down the inside of Chloe's arm. "Sorry, I woke you up."

Chloe stretches and yawns, tugging on the hem of her shirt when it rides up and exposes part of her tummy. Beca's hand moves from her arm to splay out on her stomach, underneath her shirt. "It's okay. What time is it?"

"Almost midnight," Beca whispers, a yawn also escaping her mouth. "I'm beat. I have so many deadlines to meet so I might not be home early tomorrow night either. I'm sorry."

Chloe shrugs, turning on her side so she can meet Beca's eyes in the dim room. Beca's hand moves from her stomach to curl around her hipbone. "I understand. I have to meet Aubrey for wedding plans. I might stay there for dinner then."

"You should come down to the studio for lunch. I've missed you today."

Chloe's stomach flutters, as always when Beca says these kinds of things naturally. Maybe being apart after spending so much time together felt as weird to Beca as it did to Chloe.

"I've missed you, too." Chloe whispers, and, realizing they haven't kissed yet, leans in to place a lazy one on Beca's lips. Beca hums in delight, rubbing her nose against Chloe's when they part.

"When did we become one of those annoyingly cute couples?" she asks, and Chloe can hear the smile in her voice.

"Are you complaining?" Chloe counters, fingers playing with the short hair on the back of Beca's neck. "We should make the best of it while it lasts, before you get tired of me and I of you."

She's teasing and Beca rolls her eyes. "As if." Chloe kisses her again for no reason except that she wants to. "There's a letter for you downstairs. From the lawyer, I think."

"Oh," Chloe lets out. She dropped all the mail on the kitchen island earlier, without really sorting through it, figuring it was all for Beca. After debating for a lapse of time if she should go get it or wait until the morning, curiosity gets the best of her. She swings her legs to the side of the bed and stands up, quickly walking down the stairs. She finds the large brown envelope and opens it, fishing the stack of white sheets of paper.

 _Divorce agreement_

Chloe's eyes run over the length of the page, before flipping to the last page, air rushing to her lungs when she recognizes Greg's signature at the bottom of it. Part of her expected him to put up a fight for divorce, and though she knows she would win given what was proven in court, she doesn't have it in her to fight another battle against him.

"What is it?" Chloe jumps lightly upon hearing Beca's voice. She looks up to find apologetic eyes. "Sorry."

"Divorce papers," Chloe explains as Beca sits on one of the stools, molding herself to Chloe's side, chin resting on top of her shoulder. "He signed them."

She grabs the nearest pen and scribbles her own signature above her name. Setting the pen down, she closes her eyes. A tear runs down her cheek, and Beca's thumb wipes it away.

"Chlo?" Beca whispers as she reaches out to brush Chloe's hair away from her face and tuck it behind her ear. Chloe snaps out of her daze and cuts her watery eyes to Beca, body stirring towards the brunette.

"Sorry," she says shakily, sweeping the back of her hands over her cheeks as more tears topple down. "Happy tears."

Beca nods and bends down to press her lips to Chloe's bare shoulder, arm nestling around Chloe's back. "You're free to do whatever you want now."

Chloe takes a step forward so that she's standing between Beca's legs and wraps her arms around the brunette's neck. Beca tightens her hold on her, hand running up and down Chloe's spine. Beca's arm provide a warm cocoon around her frame, and Chloe doesn't know how long she remains in her embrace, but she doesn't want to let go.

"Thank you," Chloe says, eventually breaking apart. Her blue eyes find Beca's darker ones. "I know I've said if before but I wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for you. If someone had told me a year ago I would be free, I wouldn't have believed them. And it's all because of you, Beca."

"No," Beca is shaking her head, causing Chloe to frown. "I might have been on the sidelines, cheering you on, but you were the one who stood up to him and fought your demons."

Beca's selflessness makes Chloe's heart ache, but in a beautiful way. Chloe's hand drifts up to cup Beca's jaw, thumb stroking her cheekbone, "Either way, I'm so lucky to have you in my life. There are a lot of women who are going through what I have in the world and don't have that luck." She ponders for a moment, chewing on the inside of her cheek in thought. "And I think I'd like to do something about that."

"I'm sure we can come up with something tomorrow," Beca says with a gentle smile, "But right now I just want to go to bed and fall asleep next to you."

A grin stretches Chloe's mouth. "That sounds like a good plan."

* * *

 **I'm not just writing stereotypes, French wine and cheese are really fucking delicious, and I would get fat if I didn't work out, for sure.**

 **Next chapter will be the epilogue.**

 **Hopefully I'll get it done by next week (I'm saying hopefully, because my thesis presentation happens to be next week, too, and y'know, priorities).**

 **IMPORTANT : I just found, out on Tumblr that the European Union has voted a law to restrict its citizens from using any copyright content on the internet. So that includes memes, parodies, and obviously Fanfiction. So from July 4th, I might not have access to this website anymore. It that does happen, I won't be around until I move to Canada in September, I guess. But if I haven't finished writing the epilogue, I'm sure I can find someone outside of the EU to upload it for me, so no worries about that.**

 **If some of you are reading this and live in Europe, you can send an email to your MEPs through this link to try and prevent it from happening on a website called Save the Internet (all attached, dot eu)** **  
**


	18. Epilogue

July has flown by.

Chloe realizes this as she lies on her back, staring at the ceiling one Sunday night. After coming back from France, she flew out to Florida to spend two weeks at her folks'. Beca managed to spend a couple days there as well, and Helen Beale was enthusiastic (understatement) to see the new development in their relationship, and said something about mother intuition.

Chloe sighs and turns once more. Tomorrow is her first day of school in LA and she can't seem to find sleep. Folding her hands across her stomach, she goes over all the things she needs, trying to remember if she's packed them in her briefcase.

"I can hear the wheels turning from here," comes the sleepy grumble from the lump next to her.

Chloe bites down on her lip, twisting her head to look at the back of Beca's head. "Sorry. I…" she whispers, rubbing her thumbs together in a back and forth motion. "What if they don't like me?"

She hears Beca heave a sigh and immediately feels guilty about bothering her girlfriend, whose work days seem to stretch on to no end lately. There's a shuffle, the bedside table lamp being switched on, and then Beca is lying on her side, facing her. Chloe's body shifts to lay on its side, too.

She feels Beca's hand rest on her hip as the brunette shuffles closer. "The day people don't like you, Chlo, is also be the day pigs learn to fly, trust me. You're like a pocket full of sunshine."

Chloe giggles; it's true that she's never come across someone who ended up disliking her, except maybe Beca's ex Clara. Her giggles turn to a full belly-laugh when Beca starts to sing _Pocket Full of Sunshine_ into her neck. The brunette can't quite make it to the end of the song as she's laughing hard, too. They lazily make out for half-an-hour, before eventually, sleep overtakes them both.

When Chloe gets down the stairs next morning, all prepped and ready for her first day, she finds Beca sitting at the kitchen table.

"Morning," she greets in surprise, stealing a quick kiss from Beca.

"How ya feeling?"

"Like I'm about to be sick," Chloe says with a sigh, moving to the counter to pour herself a cup of coffee. She returns to the table and eyes the scrambled eggs and hash browns, stomach churning unpleasantly. "Thanks for making breakfast but I can't eat anything right now."

Beca's arms comes up around her waist and tug on Chloe until she's standing in the space between Beca's legs. A kiss is dropped to her shirt-covered shoulder. "You'll be fine."

Chloe manages a small smile in return, "Why are you not at work?"

"I thought I could drop you off?" Beca says, "It's not that much of a detour from the studio and you won't have to take the bus."

"That's sweet of you," Chloe replies softly, bending down to peck Beca's lips. "Thanks."

An hour later, Beca parks her Audi in front of the school Chloe will now teach at for, hopefully, the whole year. She glances up at the building with wary eyes, nerves unraveling in her stomach.

"Hey," Beca's voice has her twist her head to look in her direction, "You've got this."

It's the phrase they have used every time one of them was in a stress-induced situation and it has always worked in their favor so far, so it manages to tame Chloe's nervousness just a bit.

"I'll see you tonight," Chloe says hastily before she can convince herself that this is a bad idea, and leans over the console to kiss Beca quickly. "Love you!"

She opens the door as she hears Beca reciprocate, and waves with a small smile at her girlfriend as the car pulls back from the curb.

* * *

Her day turns out going great. Her students are younger than the ones she taught back in New York, so it takes a bit of time getting used to, but overall, she feels that, at the end of the day, she left a good impression on her classes.

She's looking through the school's organization chart to try and memorize her students' names when a knock comes at the door. Her day is just coming to an end and she was just thinking of packing up to go home.

"Come in!" She says briskly. The door is pushed open and she lifts her eyes, finding her girlfriend standing in the doorway, a bouquet of flowers in her hand. She's brought back to that time Beca showed up at her school back in New York eight months ago, and how pleasantly shocked she had been, even though she was too ashamed to admit it back then, even too herself.

Chloe stands up, "Bec! What are you doing here?"

"Well I dropped you off this morning so I figured I might as well pick you up as well."

Chloe's eyes glance to the clock hanging above the door, "But… it's not even five yet. How did you manage to get off work so early?"

Beca shrugs, "I managed to fit in all my appointments to get off early so I could take my girlfriend out to dinner after her first day."

Chloe is not sure how her smile can get any bigger without it leaving permanent wrinkles. Having had a look at Beca's schedule the past few weeks, it's not rocket science to know that Beca planned this a long time ago. "We're going on a date?"

Beca nods as she hands Chloe the bouquet of white lilies, "These are for you."

"Thank you, baby."

Chloe finishes clearing her desk as Beca takes a walk around the classroom. Chloe manages to find a vase in the teacher lounge and places the flowers on the window seal, before she hits the lights and locks up behind them.

"How was your first day, Chloe?" One of Chloe's colleagues, interrupts their walk toward the exit. Chloe remembers the woman being the first one to introduce herself this morning and being very friendly. However, she finds herself drawing a blank when she tries to recall her name.

"Good!" She places a hand to her forehead and grimaces, "I'm so sorry, I can't remember your name."

"Martha," the woman answers kindly, waving her off, "First day, lots of names and faces being thrown at you, I know how it is, don't fret."

"Well, Martha, this is Beca," she says, pointing to the brunette, "My girlfriend."

Chloe didn't plan on outing herself on her first day, but she figured anyone who reads the tabloids knows about their relationship anyway. And well, she's proud to be Beca's. And from the warm smile Martha gives her in return, she's glad she introduced her as such.

"Nice to meet you, Beca," Martha says, extending her hand towards her.

"Likewise," the DJ replies, and there's light tint to her cheeks, probably from Chloe calling her her girlfriend. Honestly, Chloe can't wait to call her wife at some point, further down the road.

The sky is a swirl of orange and purple when they step out of the restaurant and the view of the setting sun over Santa Monica beach is breathtaking. Chloe takes Beca's hand and leads her down towards the ocean. They sit on the sand, Beca nestling in the space between Chloe's legs, resting her back against Chloe's front.

Chloe wraps an arm around Beca's chest and nuzzles her temple, "I'm really happy."

Beca turns her head slightly, and Chloe takes advantage of the angle to press a kiss to Beca's lips. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she sighs, "I feel like people spend too much time complaining and not enough time enjoying the little things. I like those, and doing them with you makes me insanely happy."

"Well," Beca grasps the fingers curled around her shoulder and drops a kiss to Chloe's knuckles, "Happiness looks good on you."

Chloe feels tears sting behind her eyes but manages to blink them away. She drops her chin to Beca's shoulder as they watch a group of children splashing themselves in shallow water under their parents' cautious gaze.

"Do you ever see yourself with kids?" Chloe finds herself asking. She has, until now, managed to push the question away from her mind, but it keeps getting propelled to the front of her brain. Watching Beca interact with Bella makes her ovaries hurt, and she always ends up imagining Beca act that way with their own kids.

Chloe feels Beca turn more rigid in her embrace, and tries to swallow the bitter taste settling on her tongue. She has always wanted kids; that fact is no surprise to anyone who knows her well enough. She's told herself she wouldn't get her hopes up and that it wouldn't matter if Beca didn't want to have kids. Chloe has wanted to be with her for so long that she wouldn't let go of her even if that meant not becoming a mother.

Her heart starts to hammer in her chest as she waits for an answer. Beca pulls away from her and spins around, sitting crisscrossed legs in front of her.

"I've never pictured myself as a mom," she starts, lacing her fingers with Chloe and staring down at their now joined hands, "Probably because I have shitty parents. However," she pauses, and looks up to meet Chloe's hopeful blue eyes. "Since I've started dating my best friend, I feel like I can pretty much do anything as long as she's by my side. And I have the feeling our kids would be sticking cute."

Chloe's eyes water again at that, and she lets out a strangled laugh. Beca's answer goes beyond what she hoped for.

She must have a dumbfounded look on her face because Beca laughs and leans her to kiss her softly. Chloe grasps her face to hold Beca's lips against hers a moment longer, as if to seal a pact.

"I think you'll be a terrific mom," she whispers as they part, "Your parents won't define the way you'll behave with your own kids. If anything, you know better than making the same mistakes they may have."

"Yeah," Beca nods, hand running up and down Chloe's jean-clad thigh, "And we have a few years down the road until that, right? Or, like, do you want kids right now?"

There's a flash of panic in Beca's eyes as they widen, which makes Chloe giggle and kiss her reassuringly. "Not right now," she says, "I like being just the two of us for now."

"Good," Beca exhales, looking at Chloe through her eyelashes, "'Cause I don't want to share you with anyone for a while, either."

* * *

Much like July, Chloe doesn't really see August and September go by. She's in deep with school work and class prepping, while Beca's main focus is on the making of her acoustic album, that she'd like to release sometime before next year's Grammy's. The deadline is near impossible, and Chloe can see Beca getting more exhausted with each passing day.

It's past midnight one night mid-September, when Chloe pads downstairs to fetch herself a glass of water. Beca is still working on one of her songs at the kitchen table, a pot of coffee sitting next to her.

"Come to bed, baby," Chloe says, coming to stand behind her girlfriend. She loops her arms around Beca's neck and rests her chin over her shoulder.

"I just wanted to make some alterations to this."

Chloe's eyes run over the handwritten lyrics to a song called _Phoenix_ , according to the title scribbled on top of the page in Beca's script. "Which track is this?"

"The last one."

Chloe's eyebrows fly upward, "You wrote all the songs already? When did you start this?"

She's helped Beca with some piano arrangements for a couple of songs, but had no idea all of it was already written.

Beca fiddles with her pen and shrugs, "I wrote and produced four of the 10 tracks in the last four years. They are ready but didn't really fit with my last album, and I didn't have enough inspiration to keep writing in the same style. The other six were written between now and last January," she pauses, leaning back against Chloe's front. "I guess it has to do with finding my muse again."

Chloe feels a rush of warmth invade her whole body, mouth gaping wordlessly for several seconds. She eventually gives up on finding words altogether and spins Beca's chair around to deliver a full kiss on her lips.

"So, what's this song about?"

Beca purses her lips and shrugs, "It's about this beautiful woman I know, who survived all the shit life threw at her and came out even stronger."

Chloe playful features turn serious, "Bec…"

"I wouldn't record it without your permission. The song is obviously a subtle reference to what you went through, but I thought it could also be a song dedicated to all the women going through the same type of stuff out there. The night you signed your divorce papers, I remember you telling me that you wanted to help them, and it inspired me to write this one."

"Jesus," Chloe puffs out, eyes casting upward to try and keep her tears at bay, but they seem to be persistent. Part of her still can't believe how lucky she is. She clears her throat, blurry orbs focusing back on Beca. "Did you happen to talk about my hero without a cape in the song as well?"

Beca blushes lightly, hands curling over Chloe's hips, "I don't know who you're referring to."

Chloe rolls her eyes; Beca is obviously set on remaining humble. "Can you sing it for me?"

"You know, the last time you asked me that we were naked in a shower, this is kind of a downgrade…" Beca notes with a smirk, and Chloe pinches her waist. The brunette bats her hand away before she looks over her shoulder to the sheet of paper, "It's, uh, it's not ready yet, and I want it to be perfect."

"I'm sure it already is," Chloe says, looking at Beca through her eyelashes. She's never heard anything from Beca that needed more work to be perfect. "Let me be the judge of that?"

"Fine," Beca mumbles, moving to stand up. Chloe follows her to the living room, where Beca sits at the piano. Chloe settles down on the couch, legs tucked under her body.

Soon Beca's voice fills the room, along with the soft notes of the instrument. Chloe rapidly feels herself floating, as if suspended in mid-air, hanging by each word flawlessly streaming out of Beca's mouth. Her voice is particularly raw, unlike all the other times Chloe's heard Beca sing, and it pulls at her heartstrings. When the song ends, the last note echoes into the room and right into Chloe's chest, reverberating against her ribs.

The redhead stands up, not even bothering to wipe the tears still streaming down her cheeks, and walks the few strides separating her from Beca. She sits on the brunette's lap and pulls her into a bruising kiss, hoping the power of it suffices to translate all the love she has for Beca.

"I love you," she whispers after pulling away, eyes remaining shut for a second longer. "Thank you for this, I…" she finds herself at loss for words, "It's perfect."

Beca blows out a breath, as if relieved to have Chloe's approval about this. She rests her forehead against Chloe's, "I love you, too. So much."

* * *

Aubrey and Jesse's wedding comes around the corner faster than Chloe thought it would. The ceremony takes place on a wine property inland, a couple hours from the coast. The October weather is still warm and the colors surrounding the villa are amazing. Aubrey's always wanted an autumn wedding, and Chloe is glad she's getting it.

"I'm looking for the maid of honor!" Chloe hears Beca's voice ring out through the hall, right before the door opens and her girlfriend's head pops into the room. "Your date is here."

Chloe chuckles and adjusts the flower pin in her hair to pull it back. Beca strides in, and Chloe catches her gaze in the mirror. "You look hot."

"Thanks," the brunette says, adjusting the wide, single shoulder strap of her one piece. "So do you. Although, that dress would look better on the floor of our bedroom."

"I'm sitting right _here._ " The appalled comment pulls their attention to the bride sitting in front of her coiffeuse, getting her hair done by a stylist.

"Oh, hey Aubs," Beca greets with a wicked grin, giving the blonde a once over. "You look amazing. Jesse is gonna bawl his eyes out when he sees you."

"Thanks?" Aubrey laughs uncertainly, "How is he doing?"

"Peachin'," Beca says as she walks to Chloe after helping herself to a few grapes from the table and popping them into her mouth, "Only threw up once since this morning."

"Beca!" Chloe chastises, swatting her arm in a weak attempt to scold her. Beca catches her flailing hand and weaves their fingers together.

"I'm kidding," she directs to Aubrey who is glaring at her through the mirror. "He's fine, Aubrey. Geez, chill out."

Aubrey barks out a dry chuckle, "You laugh now, Mitchell. We'll see about those nerves on _your_ wedding day."

Beca lifts her shoulder in a shrug while she smiles at Chloe, "I don't think there's any reason to get nervous if you're marrying the love of your life."

Chloe stares at her, warmth bubbling in the pit of her stomach and both women seem to be lost in their own little world until a disgruntled noise bursts their bubble.

"Will someone hold my hair while I gag?" Aubrey complains with a grimace. Beca rolls her eyes and kisses Chloe deeply enough to have Aubrey shouting something about her messing up Chloe's make-up.

"Later," Beca murmurs cheekily, adding a flirty wink for good measure, before she leaves the room. Chloe's eyes remain fastened on the shut door long after she leaves, until Aubrey clears her throat. Chloe finds herself on the receiving end of a pointed look.

"Sorry," she says sheepishly, snapping out of her gaze, and moves to sit beside Aubrey once her wobbly legs allow her to.

"Don't apologize," Aubrey says with a smile and a shake of the head, hand covering Chloe's. "It's good to see you this happy. Slightly sickening, but otherwise good."

The ceremony is held at dusk, an odd time to have the wedding started, but the warm colors in the sky give the whole thing a sort of magical feeling.

"M'lady," Beca husks out, sticking out the crook of her arm to Chloe as they wait for their cue to start down the aisle. Chloe slips her hand on the inside of Beca's elbow, leaning in to kiss her cheek swiftly before they start walking. They part at the end of the trail and Chloe squeezes Jesse's forearm when she gets past him to stand off to the side.

Everyone's head turns when Aubrey walks down the aisle after the last bridesmaid and groomsman. Chloe sees Jesse's jaw drop and notices his eyes are glazed over when Aubrey comes to a stop in front of him.

At some point during their vows to one another, Chloe notices Beca is staring at her with a small smile and a look that she can't quite place. Their eyes lock, and Chloe almost feels herself blushing under the intensity of Beca's gaze.

"Rings?" The minister asks, and Chloe raises an eyebrow when Beca doesn't move, apparently in her own little bubble. "Rings?"

"Oh, shit!" she comes to, and flushes, handing the rings to the minister while mouthing a 'sorry' to Aubrey as the blonde glares at her. Chloe stifles a laugh and shakes her head.

Beca clears her throat and rises from her chair, knocking her spoon against her glass to get everyone's attention.

"Hi, all," she starts, and Chloe laughs at her bursting enthusiasm. "My name is Beca and I'm the groom's best man… or woman, eh, whatever. When Jesse asked me to be his best woman, he failed to mention that the speech was mandatory, but Aubrey threatened to pull me out of the wedding and never speak to me again if I didn't speak, so, here I am," there's a clear of a throat, this time coming from Aubrey, "Right, this really isn't my forte, so I'll keep it short. I've known Aubrey and Jesse during my freshman year at Barden and the two of them were nothing alike, except maybe for the fact that they were very obsessive; Aubrey with acapella, and Jesse with movies. I guess now they are just obsessed with each other so that gives us all a break."

She pauses to allow everyone to laugh, before smiling softly, and Chloe knows from shift in her features that her speech is about to turn slightly more serious, "I saw these two fall in love with each other and they were -are- the living proof that true love does exist," Her eyes flick to Chloe briefly, shiny blue eyes meeting equally watery cobalt ones, before she sets them back on the couple. "And I feel privileged to stand here and watch that love be celebrated, today. May you have a great life together."

Beca raises her glass, "To Aubrey and Jesse!"

The newlywed couple leaves the table shortly after Beca's speech for their first dance, and Chloe watches them for a while, truly happy to see her best friend happy, too. When the song changes, Chloe stands up and walks to where Beca is sitting, talking to Stacie. She loops her arms around Beca's neck from behind.

"Come dance," she murmurs into her ear.

"A slow?" Beca's nose scrunches up, "I'm terrible at slow dancing, Chlo."

Stacie has turned on her other side to talk to Cynthia-Rose, so Chloe takes the opportunity of having Beca all to herself to sit in her lap. "Come on, this is my favorite song," she says, referring to the version of _Can't Help Falling In Love With You_ playing on the dance floor.

"Is it?" Beca's tone is quizzical as she loops an arm around Chloe's waist, "I thought your favorite song was Titanium?"

"Well, duh," Chloe says, "Titanium is my favorite song to listen to when I do inappropriate things," Beca is starting to blush, so Chloe leans further in to whisper something into her ear, "Which reminds me that we haven't done it to that song, yet."

"Good god, you'll be the death of me," Beca grunts out, tightening her hold on Chloe.

"We should fix that tonight," she husks lowly into Beca's ear. She pulls back, thoroughly enjoying the sight of a flushed Beca, "But first, let's go dance."

"Fine," Beca agrees with an exaggerate sigh, nudging Chloe into getting off her lap. The sound of a whip cracking in the air catches her ear and Chloe isn't sure if it comes from Stacie or Cynthia-Rose, but she laughs as Beca blindly flips them off.

When they step onto the dancefloor, Beca twirls her goofily and brings her flush against her to start their dance. Chloe doesn't know why Beca feels insecure about dancing, because she's nailing this. A laugh catches their attention and they both twist their heads in time to witness Jesse dipping Aubrey while the blonde giggles.

"They look happy," Chloe muses, tearing her eyes away from their friends to land on Beca.

"Yeah. I hope Jesse knows what he got himself into," Beca says while pulling a face, and Chloe swats her arm. "I'm kidding. I like Aubrey now, consider her one of my best friends, actually."

"I know. I have to admit I didn't see those two coming."

"Did you see us coming?" Beca asks with a quirked eyebrow, "The first time."

Chloe's fingers start to play with the hair on the back of Beca's neck, "You mean when you kissed me by the pool?"

Memories of that night flood her mind and send sparks right down to the tip of her toes. It was everything she hoped it would be when she had told Beca about 'experimenting'.

Beca scoffs, "I think that kiss was mutual."

"I know, I'm just teasing," she assures Beca, pecking her lips for good measure. "And no, I didn't really see it coming. I thought I had freaked you out when I told you about experimenting and I didn't want to make the first move and risk having you run for the hills."

"You didn't freak me out. I just… if you hadn't put me on the spot with a tent full of Bellas, I would have…"

"What?" Chloe is suddenly hanging onto Beca's every word. She squeezes her waist to get her to finish her sentence, "You would have what?"

"Kissed you," she says with such certainty that Chloe nearly loses her footing, "Yeah, I would have kissed you."

"Oh my gosh, a Spiderman kiss?" She squeals, eyes growing wide, "That would have been so hot."

"And awkward, given the angle," Beca adds with a chuckle.

Chloe leans in to kiss her again, longer this time. Beca's lips taste like expensive champagne and left over raspberry gloss. "We can always test that theory later."

"I guess we have a lot of theories to test later," Beca says with a flirty wink, "Fine with me, I'm not going to pass up an opportunity to kiss my sexy girlfriend."

Chloe rolls her eyes, "Smart ass."

Beca takes up her duty as DJ an hour later, and Chloe doesn't think she'll ever get tired of watching her girlfriend mix. It just gets her hot and bothered.

She excuses herself from Stacie and walks to the bar to order a beer and a martini, before hiking the steps that lead to Beca's glass booth. She sets the drink on a small platform, far enough from Beca's equipment in case it tips over, but close enough for Beca to reach it.

Then, she comes to stand behind Beca and wraps an arm around her waist. Beca looks over her shoulder and meets her eyes, smiling softly. "Having a good time?"

Chloe doesn't answer with words, instead pressing an open-mouthed kiss in the crook of Beca's neck. She doesn't hear Beca's gasp but feels her body tense and then melt against hers.

"Mmm," she hums in Beca's ear. "But I think we should go home soon."

Beca slides a few knobs up or down and spins in Chloe's arms. Chloe's hands find the front of her blazer and tug her closer. "Why is that?"

"Because I'd like to engage in those activities we talked about earlier," she whispers into Beca's uncovered ear and the brunette's hips shift against hers. "Watching you mix is doing things to me and I'm not sure I can wait much longer before I have my way with you."

Control is something she was never allowed to have whenever Greg was around. The confidence Beca gives her, added to the slight amount of alcohol in her system and the desire seeping like scalding lava through her veins while watching Beca mix are enough to unleash her tongue and her actions. Chloe feels like she's on cloud nine, this carefree feeling giving her wings.

And Beca doesn't seem to be disturbed by Chloe's sudden take of control, if the way her eyes glaze over is any indication.

"Fucking hell, Beale," Beca growls back, hands leaving Chloe's hips to rest low on her back. "You know Aubrey won't ever speak to me again if I leave her stranded without any music."

"Can't you like," Chloe's breathing itches as she feels yet another wave of arousal wash over her body. "Put something in a loop like you're doing now, but longer?"

Beca nips at her bottom lip before she turns back to her board, fiddling with a few knobs. Chloe moves to stand beside her, teeth lightly grazing her ear lobe to drive her crazy.

It seems to take Beca longer than usual to get things right, and it makes Chloe smirk against her skin. Beca double checks her computer, before she spins around, grabs Chloe's hand and leads her toward one of the supply rooms for lack of any other place being unlocked and close enough to the ball room.

As soon as the door clicks shut, Chloe has Beca up against it and their mouths fused together. Chloe feels drunk. Drunk in love, drunk in desire, or drunk in whatever the word is that can describe how much she wants and needs Beca right now.

"Wait, wait, wait," Beca says hastily, cupping Chloe's face with both hands, just when Chloe is about to drag the zipper of her one piece down.

"What is it?" The redhead asks breathlessly, taking a second to really look at her girlfriend; her lips are swollen and her breathing is labored, but there's a look in her eyes that Chloe can't quite place. The same look Beca had on during the ceremony. A look that makes Chloe's stomach flutter in anticipation of something big.

"Marry me," Beca murmurs, midnight blue eyes boring into Chloe's. Chloe takes a pause, eyes widening slightly and breath catching in her throat. The music pounding outside is quickly replaced by the pounding of her heart, suddenly beating madly in her ears as she stares at Beca. She didn't expect to be proposed to tonight, in a supply room of all places. Then again, Beca manages to surprise her nearly every day, so, it's fitting.

"I know it's soon, and we don't have to do it right away I just… god I just want to call you my wife at some point and I don't want you to spend another day not knowing that." Beca smiles softly, one of her hand drifting to the back of Chloe's neck to tug her towards her. Like a magnet, Chloe's body stirs towards Beca's to get as close as physically possible. "Marry me, Chloe Beale?"

As the shock leaves her body to make way for giddiness, Chloe closes the gap between them and kisses her fully, lips gliding flawlessly against Beca's.

"Yes." She whispers across Beca's lips, resting her forehead against hers. Beca's teary eyes meet Chloe's equally watery ones. "As if there were any doubt on my mind."

The grin stretching Beca's lips is nearly blinding and Chloe is pretty sure it matches hers. "God, I love you."

"And I, you."

"Shit," Beca suddenly freezes, demeanor falling. "I don't have a ring."

Chloe laughs and leans in to kiss her again. "That's okay. I don't really need a ring."

"Yes, you do," Beca says with a scolding expression. "I just… I wasn't planning on proposing for another few months but I… I couldn't wait anymore. Aubrey might kill me."

"Why's that?" Chloe asks curiously.

"She helped me plan the whole thing and yeah… It was supposed to be a bit more romantic than this. And she might be mad when we tell her we got kind of engaged at her wedding. Is that cliché? Proposing at a wedding? It totally is, right? Our kids are going to make fun of us for this."

Chloe is overwhelmed by so many feelings, it's getting ridiculous. "She might kill you. But I won't let her, 'cause this was actually kind of perfect. Felt natural."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

* * *

Beca's new album is released just two weeks before Christmas, as planned, and it's an international hit. It goes Platinium ten days later, and when the nominations for the Grammy's are announced, Beca's name is displayed in many sections.

"Beca," Chloe whispers in the dark room one early morning. "Bec, it's Christmas."

"Mmm," Beca grumbles something belonging to another language, burying her face into the pillow. "Too early."

"Can we open presents now?"

There's no reply coming from her fiancée (swoon), so she taps her on the shoulder. A hand shoots out from Beca's side and gently grasps her fingers to still her movements, "I take back everything I said about wanting kids. If they act the same way as you do each Christmas, which I'm sure they will because they will be your carbon copy, I'm signing out."

Chloe doesn't believe her for a second, and tickles Beca's side with her other hand, "You love it."

With an exaggerated sigh, Beca finally rolls onto her side to face her, "I have no idea why, but yeah, I do. When did we become one of those annoyingly cute couples again?"

Beca eventually emerges from her grumpy early morning ritual, and once she's awake enough (it does take a little bit of blackmail and a lot of kissing), she gives Chloe the go ahead for the presents.

Finding a gift for Beca turned out to be more difficult than Chloe thought. The brunette can nearly have anything she wants, and Chloe's paycheck isn't big compared to Beca's, so Chloe went for another type of present.

She grabs her phone, finds the video, and presses play. Beca frowns as Chloe's classroom comes into view, her oldest group of students gathered in front of the camera. Chloe is sat at the piano and plays the first notes of one of the tracks of Beca's new album, before her students join in and start to sing.

"This is amazing," Beca says when the song ends, eyes flicking from the phone's screen to Chloe. "They are very talented."

"They couldn't stop talking about your album, so I thought we should make a cover of one of the songs. You really inspire them."

"I love it," Beca leans in and kisses Chloe quickly, "Thanks babe."

Chloe hands her another gift, which is a mug featuring the sentence 'I'm allergic to mornings' with a drawing of a grumpy cat. Beca glares at her, but Chloe knows it will end up being her favorite cup. Lastly, she hands her an envelope.

"We're going to the Keys?" Beca asks, a smile splitting on her face as she eyes the plane tickets.

"Yeah, after the Grammys. I have a break and I thought you could use the vacation. I hope you know that means a mandatory stay at the Beale house."

"You know I love your parents. Thank you, this is exactly what I need." Beca kisses her again, "Alright, so my present isn't actually here. We have to drive to it."

Chloe looks at her curiously, eyes narrowing, "What did you do?"

"Nothing drastic. I just wanna show you something."

They get dressed and Beca drives her ten minutes into the city, slowing the car down to a stop in front of a recent building, a FOR SALE board displayed on the windows. They step out of the car, and Chloe grows more and more confused with each step leading to the red-brick building. Beca takes something out of her pocket and drops it into Chloe's palm.

Upon getting Chloe's confused look, Beca nudges her lightly, "Go on, open it."

Chloe slips the key into the lock and heaves the heavy door open.

"What's this, Beca?" she asks, taking in the large entry hall of the building, eyes following along the walls until they reach the high ceiling. "Are you moving studio?"

Beca shakes her head and grabs her hand, tugging her further down the hall, "No, that's not it. This building has twenty apartment complexes, a kitchen, five conference rooms and a bus stop right around the corner. I thought it would be the ideal location for your shelter."

Chloe is at loss for words; her mouth gapes open and shuts, eyes widening slightly as Beca's explanation sinks in. She has talked about opening up a shelter for women in LA over the last few months, but her project has been on hold from lack of resources.

"I put an offer on this, but I wanted to show it to you before because it's your project, not mine. If you want to visit other places we can do that, too."

"I…" Chloe shakes her head, trying to free her mind from the blur it's trapped in. She isn't familiar with realtor prices in the city, but this building must be worth at least a million dollars.

"Nothing drastic?" she finds herself mumbling in disbelief. "I can't accept this, Bec. It's your money, I…"

"Technically, not yet." Beca places her fingers over Chloe's mouth to stop her rant, "The purchase and running of this place will be funded by the album sales. All of them. You are the reason this album made it to the recording stage. You are the one who stayed up late to help me with instrumental arrangements and the one who kept me from pulling my hair out whenever I stalled on something. So the album is as much yours as it is mine. This project is important to you and I think it's necessary and very brave. So I'm just giving it a little push, you are what makes it what it is."

Chloe feels like she's about to faint any second now. 'A little push' is a major understatement.

"I… I don't know what to say…"

Beca smiles, obviously understanding Chloe's shock. "You don't have to say anything. Except if you don't like the building then we c- oof!"

She's cut off mid-sentence by the bone crushing embrace Chloe pulls her in, and Chloe feels her laugh against the crook of her neck, arms wrapping loosely around her lower back.

"I take it you like it?" she asks, pulling away to look at Chloe.

 _Duh._ "I love it," she leans in to peck Beca's lips over and over again, "I love _you_."

Beca hums, catching her lips in a longer kiss. "I love you, too, baby."

Beca gives her the tour of the building, and Chloe's brain gets assaulted by countless ideas for the future shelter. The premises are ideal for what she wants to do with it and hold a lot of potential. It will take some time to have it ready, but Chloe feels up to the task.

* * *

Chloe is the first to realize Beca's name is being called. It takes Beca a second longer, during which Chloe has already taken her hand and whispered how proud she is into her ear.

Beca snaps out of her daze and shakes her head lightly, as if to gather her thoughts. She turns to look at Chloe, and cups her face to give her a quick kiss.

"Go get it," Chloe whispers against her mouth, squeezing Beca's hand before letting go. She watches as Beca climbs the steps and accepts her award, sharing a few words with the host. Chloes feels her chest swell with pride that her heart struggles to fit. A year ago, she was watching Beca from across the country in front of the TV and now, well, she's her _date_.

"Alright," She takes a deep breath and visibly swallows, "Damn, I thought the second time around would be easier…" the audience laughs, and it seems to give Beca some confidence. "First of all, I'd like to thank my amazing team; a bunch of incredible people who barely have any social life because of me. This Grammy is yours, too. Special shout out to Jesse Swanson for being there every step of the way and resisting the urge to kill me. This album was such hard work because it was different from what I'm used to making and I was surprised and grateful it was so well received." She takes a pause until her eyes find Chloe's in the audience. "It was written for the love of my life, Chloe Beale, who is also the angel voice on track number 8. Thank you for keeping up with my crazy schedule over the last six months and for just being you. I love you, this one is for you."

Chloe is a bawling mess by the end of the speech, though she tries to reign her emotions in as she knows she's being filmed.

It's only when they go back home around 2 am that Chloe can kiss Beca the way she's wanted to since the brunette won her award. And she does so as soon as the front door is shut and locked behind them.

"I'm so fucking proud of you," she says breathlessly when they break apart. Chloe rarely swears, but she feels like the adjective alone isn't enough to translate the way she feels right now. Beca whimpers and moves to cup her jaw. "You're a rock star, baby."

Beca laughs against her, forehead dropping to Chloe's cheek. "Right now, the rock star just wants to sleep for forty-eight hours straight."

"You don't even want to make out just a little bit?" Chloe asks, smirking lightly when Beca groans.

"Alright," Beca is already pushing at Chloe's jacket, "Five minutes."

They both know it will last more than five minutes.

* * *

"You ready, Chlo?" She hears Beca call from downstairs and looks at her reflection one last time in the mirror, smoothing a hand down her blouse. She runs down the steps until she hits the bottom step and kisses Beca quickly before bending down to put her shoes on.

They walk down to the car, and settle in, windows rolled down because of the particularly high temperature for a June Saturday morning.

"How you feeling?" Beca asks, slipping her hand into Chloe's and bringing it up to her lips to press a kiss on the inside of her wrist.

"Excited, nervous, happy?" Chloe voices, shrugging. "All of those."

"Yeah, I get what you mean," Beca says softly, eyes leaving the road briefly to glance at Chloe. "I feel the same way each time I release something."

The rest of the ride is spent in silence as Chloe goes over what she might have forgotten. They park in front of the building, now called the _Los Angeles Women's Shelter._ Some of their friends are already standing in front of the building, having come over to help with the last preparations, as promised. Chloe hugs each one of them, grateful for their presence on such an important day.

Tom is the last in line and he engulfs her into a tight hug.

"Thanks for being here," she tells him, taking a deep breath.

"Glad to be," his line of sight flicks to over Chloe's shoulder, "Beca."

"Tom." Beca greets with a curt nod, and Chloe rolls her eyes good-naturedly at them pretending not to like each other.

"Cut it out," she says with a laugh. "Both of you."

By twelve pm, everything is set up and they are ready to welcome the city representatives as well as the whole team that will from now on be working at the shelter: a therapist, a cook, two teachers, as well as all the volunteers that will come in the mornings and evenings to help run the place.

Once everyone has had a drink poured, thanks to Aubrey and Stacie's assistance, Chloe climbs onto the makeshift stage and clears her throat to get her guests' attention.

"Hi all, and thank you for being here on this very special day. This project has been very dear to me for the past year and I can't believe this is the opening day. I want to thank all my friends for their support. I would like to thank the whole team and volunteers for accepting to go on this journey with me and admire your drive and selflessness. Thank you to the representative of this city for allowing me to open this place and pulling the resources for it to run properly." She pauses and finds Beca's warm gaze in the crowd, locking eyes with her. "I want to thank my beautiful, talented and amazing fiancée for making this project possible and for being my hero in the past year and a half. This facility will hopefully become a lifeline to many abused women out there. May they find here advice, peace, support and most importantly a safe place to sleep. Thank you."

Chloe takes a sip of her drink and reaches for the pair of scissors set on the table. She gets off the stage, and walks over to the red ribbon, cutting it in one flawless motion. An applause breaks out from behind her and she lets out a watery laugh.

It's only when they come home that it really dawns on her how far she's come. She left her troubled life and managed to build a new one on the other side of the country. She's come farther than she thought she ever would, and risen higher than she ever thought possible.

"Hey," Beca pulls her out of her thoughts, leaned against the doorway of their bedroom. "I'm really proud of you, you know that?"

Chloe smiles; it's as if Beca has superpowers that enable her to know exactly what she's thinking. She sits on the bed and lies down, reflecting the last year in her head as she stares at the ceiling. "Thanks. I guess I'm proud of me, too."

"You should be," Beca says with a smirk, pushing off the doorway to come lie next to her. Chloe rolls on her side and snuggles into Beca's side. The excitement of the day eventually dies down and she suddenly feels exhausted.

"Can we stay like this forever?" Chloe breaks the comfortable silence, causing Beca to chuckle. She's cuddled against Beca's body, hand splayed out over Beca's toned stomach underneath her shirt, leg hooked over the brunette's.

"Well, what about work? Or our friends?" Beca asks.

Chloe gives her a mischievous smile, "They're not as good in bed as you are."

"You would know something about that?" Beca teases, eyebrow raised challengingly.

"No, I just figure." She wants to add a 'you're just the best sex I've ever had', but clamps her teeth down on her bottom lip not to say it; Beca would never let her live it down.

"Good, you had me worried for just a sec," Beca lets out a relieved sigh, which makes Chloe giggle.

"Beca?" Chloe asks after a while, fingers tracing various patterns over Beca's stomach. Beca hums in reply, hand running up and down her spine. "This year was the best I've ever had."

Beca's movements still, her heart beating right in Chloe's ear, and Chloe feels her lips against her forehead, "Good. You deserve it."

And Chloe thinks next year will be just as great, and the year after that, and the one after that.

Because honestly? As long as Beca is by her side, Chloe can't come up with anything or anyone that could take away that happiness.

* * *

 **That's it folks! I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited or followed this journey, it means a lot. I hope you enjoyed the conclusion to this story.**

 **I fell into the Bechloe trap and I just can't stop writing. Coming up soon, a second part to Unspoken, updates to Cosmic Love and a sort of sequel to this, a few years down the road. I'm also working on another multi-chapter fic featuring single mom Chloe.**

 **I am also looking for a Beta reader. PM me if you are interested or if you know someone that might be.**


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